Isabella

• November 2009

  Why would I ever want to slow down my consumption of alcohol? Blasphemy! On a serious note, I learned loooong ago that for every alcoholic drink I have, I need to drink a glass of water. Hangovers aren't very fun. And I do enjoy a Campari and soda every now again (especially in... Read moreWhy would I ever want to slow down my consumption of alcohol? Blasphemy! On a serious note, I learned loooong ago that for every alcoholic drink I have, I need to drink a glass of water. Hangovers aren't very fun. And I do enjoy a Campari and soda every now again (especially in the summer), but Americanos and the Cosmo variation are more my speed. Cheers!    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic A search for an alternative... by Girl Drink Drunk

  
  
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  October 2009

  Woodward Canyon Winery Washington State Chardonnay 2007

  Snoothrank: Starting at $35^.95

  While not as complex and delicate as a white Burgundy like Mersault, this wine has fresh bold flavors and is a delicious and balanced mouthful. Some buttery, oaky qualities but it has a spine and a drier finish that keeps things in balance. Well worth the price in my opinion.

  Wine review by lordkoos

  
  
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  October 2009

  Asconi Old Tavern Red Dessert 2007

  Snoothrank:

  Dessert red wine made of grape varieties Isabella, grown in Taraclia, Moldova. Nose of cherry jam, blackberry, leather, cigar box and vanilla. Medium brick color with orange rim and light, delicate taste of strawberries.

  Wine review by BVWineS

  
  

• October 2009

  Five Decades of Oddero with Isabella Oddero Isabella Oddero in the cellars   I had the pleasure of welcoming Isabella Oddero to New York last month. I have tasted with Isabella in the cantina at Oddero for several years but his was the first time we were able to sit down and share... Read moreFive Decades of Oddero with Isabella Oddero Isabella Oddero in the cellars   I had the pleasure of welcoming Isabella Oddero to New York last month. I have tasted with Isabella in the cantina at Oddero for several years but his was the first time we were able to sit down and share a few glass here in New York. Preceding dinner was an in-store tasting at New York’s Chambers Street wines where I was able to revisit the 2007 Bianco and 2006 Barbera d’Alba that I had previously tasted in the cellars. For those of you not familiar with Oddero it’s a historic Cantina of La Morra, in Piemonte, yet produced wines from many of the villages that constitute Barolo. The wines are made in a fairly traditional style, though their base Barolo is quite fruity and they even produce a Cabernet Sauvignon based wine called Fureste: The foreigner in the local vernacular. The real stars of the Oddero line-up are the single vineyard Barolo and Barbaresco. These are beautiful wines that may not be terrible expressive in their youth but blossom wonderfully with age. These earlier vintages are testament to the quality of the vineyards, coming from the family’s holdings in La Morra and Castiglione that are now bottled as Cru wines.   For more information on the wines of Oddero please see the previously published : A Killer Visit with Oddero     2007 Langhe Bianco Fruity on the nose with floral tones and pear fruit. Huge acids in the mouth give this great cut with a faceted quality to the mineral laden white fruits. This is assertively mineral on the backend and into the long finish.  89pts 2006 Barbera d’Alba Sweet and sour fruits on the nose are uncomplicated yet pure and bright. The classic Barbera acidity keeps this bright and zesty on the palate as well with a clear, slightly bitter black cherry tone and nice accents of tar, earth and violet than add nice length on the finish. 88pts 1961 Barolo A bit high toned on the nose and showing some volatility yet very aromatic with leafy tones of tobacco some sweet medicinal notes and a lovely array of assertive truffle and sweet angelica root tones. There’s a touch of teriyaki that emerges with air as well. While this retains a nice tannic bite it is fairly well resolved with a clear quality in the mouth that allows the bright sweet/sour cranberry tones to take center stage with hints of licorice and tar adding some detail around the edges. The fruit is fading a bit and doesn’t have great persistence in the mouth with a limestone mineral note taking over on the moderately long finish.  A very enjoyable,, fully mature bottle of Barolo. 92pts 1967 Barolo This starts off bit funky on the nose transitioning from the barnyard to a leathery, seaweed flecked bouquet that exhibits some classic mint and truffle tones before surrendering to a deep beef bouillon, dried onion and allspice tone. In the mouth this still has some flesh, which is well balanced by the relatively soft structure that remains. It gains more richness as it sits in the glass and the sweet edge of maderization gives an impression of sweetness to the cranberry/rhubarb fruit. There is a nice spice element that adds to the moderately long finish and a touch of burnished orange peel on the finale. The palate is fresher than the nose here but if this bottle is indicative these should be consumed sooner rather than later. 88pts 1970 Barolo The aromatics here present quite a contrast with a fresh, crisp celery note intertwined in the sweet black cherry core of fruit. There are hints of sweet tea, veal stock and fresh shitakes adding complexity but there is also a touch of rum on the nose that is a little off-putting. On the palate this is large scaled if soft with a wonderfully plush texture to the cherry and rhubarb fruit with hints of tar and subtle spice tones drawing out the moderately long finish. 90pts 1971 Barolo The cork on this bottle was pristine and the condition of the wine was exceptional. Such a deep color and such reticence on the nose that one would be forgiven thinking this was decades younger. The nose opens with a huge fresh celery note that is slowly subsumed by wonderfully sweet and fresh black currant and black cherry fruit tones.  With air the nuances of coffee, cigarette ash and burnt raisin tones add their detail to the bouquet though a touch of volatility does emerge, adding lift but also a bit of glue to the nose. In the mouth this is elegant with superb balance. The ripe, round tannins remain well concealed in a plush core of fruit. The lovely mouthfeel is complimented by the earthy floral tones and bitter cherry fruit the wine retains but the finish does reveal a bit of heat and the tannins gain a slight powdery edge with time in the glass. This is filled with fruit yet it lacks a touch a detail. It may very well continue to improve in the bottle. 91pts 1974 Barolo This really has a lovely fruity quality on the nose with a lightness and brightness that still makes this smell quite youthful. There are nice notes of dandelion, pigskin, dry earth and licorice that add nice detail to the fresh black cherry fruit. In the mouth this has such purity and real finesse. It is clean and polished with a great core of mineral tinged black cherry fruit, superb length and a sleek, refreshing feel. It is elegant; a touch simple and perhaps even delicate by Barolo standards but is pure joy to drink. Each note is so precise and clear here that you don’t need any more complexity to be completely satisfied. 94pts 1978 Barolo Reticent on the nose yet evolving rich hints of macerated flowers, sandalwood, tar and wet animal fur in the glass. This is continues to be decidedly matte feeling with plenty of fleshy fruit backed up by rich, slightly chewy tannins. The fruit is dark with earthy, leathery tones and excellent length but this still has a touch of an undeveloped feel. It’s rich and lusty if a touch rustic and may remain so. 92pts 1989 Barolo Vigna Rionda The aromatic on this are superbly layered and still very fruity with hints of iron, smoke, smoldering herbs and dusty earth embedded in sweet notes of cherry, candied strawberry and strawberry and cream fruit tones. In the mouth the tannins remain ripe yet rigid giving the mouth an excellent, precise feel. This is rich and powerful and the fruit is just beginning to yield the stage to the emerging tertiary notes but remains wonderfully youthful. 93pts 2001 Barolo Mondoca di Bussia Soprana The nose combines very fruity and intense notes of candied black raspberry fruit and cactus leaves with hints of cigarette smoke, clove and vanilla giving this a bit of a modern appearance. Big, rich and chewy in the mouth with big tannins and a dark core of confiture of black fruits. There are nuanced of espresso foam, licorice and backing spices adding accent notes on the long finish but this is still very youthful and showing lots of baby fat. 92pts 2004 Barolo Spicy on the nose, with jammy red currant fruits and a touch of carob. Lovely fresh tannins and rich fruit give this a soft, round feel with ripe wild cherry and boysenberry fruit that is fresh and intense if a bit simple and dilute on the finish. A fine Basic Barolo 88pts 2004 Barolo Villero A real step up in refinement over the base Barolo with red fruits on the nose accented with clay soil tones rose petals, sweet sassafras, spicy savory tones and a liquory black fruit top note. This offers up a really layered and complex. Set of aromatics.  Deceptively soft at first, the wine snaps together on the mid-palate with well-balanced, crisp, faceted tannins and prominent yet integrated acids framing the bitter cherry fruit. There are lovely herbal, medicinal tones that draw out the inner core of sweetness of the fruit and add resonance on the long finish. A very promising wine but one that is best left alone for a decade. 91pts    (hide)

  From the article Isabella Oddero Visits New York

  
  

• September 2009

  From the article Taking another Look at Ceretto

  
  

• August 2009

  West Bloomfield is in the Detroit area? It is if you consider most of SE Michigan the Detroit area, which I guess makes some sense. Anyhow, years ago there was a store called Merchant of Vino that opened on Northwestern back in the 70s. They eventually opened a few others then... Read moreWest Bloomfield is in the Detroit area? It is if you consider most of SE Michigan the Detroit area, which I guess makes some sense. Anyhow, years ago there was a store called Merchant of Vino that opened on Northwestern back in the 70s. They eventually opened a few others then sold the chain and some of them have since closed. However, the original owner kept one store called simply Merchants on Micigan Ave in Dearborn. It's one of the better wine stores down there. And the guy who owns Westborn Market has now opened a few and they have pretty decent wine selections, although I think Merchants' selection is larger. In and around Royal Oak there is a cluster of shops that have opened over the past few years. There is Cloverleaf, and Ellie, and Simply Wines is very close by right on Woodward near 9 mile. You should also check out WIneBuys. I don't know if they have a storefront yet or not but they're also in Ferndale and they have an interesting collection that's unlike anything out here in NYC. It's not nearly as desolate as it used to be. The guys at WIneBuys are pretty good actually. They're also in The Gang of Pour. I've not ever met them but we've talked over the phone. Michigan is rough for out of state shipping but that's the way to go if you can't find bottles in -state. The pricing over there is a little weird - some things are more costly than elswhere and other things are really well-priced. But at least they're available these days. Good luck.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Favorite Wine Shops in Michigan by GregT

  
  

• July 2009

  GregT, K Vintners makes a good syrah that I've had called, I believe, "The Beautiful". Around $50 retail a couple of years ago, though I haven't checked recently (nor on Snooth--feeling lazy today...). I guess I first gravitated towards Columbia Valley and Walla Walla, particularly,... Read moreGregT, K Vintners makes a good syrah that I've had called, I believe, "The Beautiful". Around $50 retail a couple of years ago, though I haven't checked recently (nor on Snooth--feeling lazy today...). I guess I first gravitated towards Columbia Valley and Walla Walla, particularly, because they were so successful with cabs and chardonnays starting at the very end of the '80s. I hadn't been happy with the rieslings and other whites that I'd tried, even from St. Michelle and its relatives in the Stimson Lane grouping (Columbia Crest, et al.), earlier in that decade, nor even many pinot noirs that were starting to appear then. Thus I let out a satisfied 'ahah!' when I ran across Woodward Canyon, and then started looking for others. Not too surprisingly they're few and far between in this part of the world (I even contacted WC in the early '90s about importing them over here, but that was beyond their capacity at the time). Forget about running across a Long Shadows version in Japan, though they are officially represented here, on paper at least. Nor many other of the more 'exotic' (to Japanese consumers, anyway), varietals. Long story short, I can only try to catch up on visits back to Seattle and other parts of the Pacific Northwest, which unfortunately are too few and far between these days. Thus I thank you for your impressions above. Would be nice to see Snooth do tastings specifically on Washington State, and Oregon State, wines.... Calling GregDP!    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Walla Walla Wine Trip by dmcker

  
  

• July 2009

  Look at this link: http://www.wallawallawine.com/wineries I thought I was familiar with a lot of the wineries but looking at that list, apparently I'm not because off the top I can only remember the wines from about half of them. Anyhow, here are a few impressions. Woodward... Read moreLook at this link: http://www.wallawallawine.com/wineries I thought I was familiar with a lot of the wineries but looking at that list, apparently I'm not because off the top I can only remember the wines from about half of them. Anyhow, here are a few impressions. Woodward Canyon is one of the older ones - but "old" in Washington doesn't mean a whole lot. They are solid and have a proven track record, at least for about 15 years or so and their wine is something that you can hold on to for a few years too. Good stuff. Cayuse gets the most press and is considered one of Washington's top handful of wines. Also making some of the most expensive wines in Washington these days. It's got a French winemaker and if there is a scale between CA and France, their wines tend towards the French side. Even more so IMO is Tamarack - they seem to like cab franc and do a good job with it and they have a number of bottlings that aren't really expensive for the quality - e.g. Firehouse Red that you can pick up for somewhere around $20. A few of these places are doing really interesting work with grapes other than cab sauv and merlot, thank God. For example, the aforementioned cabernet franc. Also Walla Walla Vinters and Leonetti both make sangiovese and Seven Hills makes a nice tempranillo. Seven Hills incidentally does a pretty good job up and down the line. Saviah gets raves from some people but I've never been a big fan of anything I've tried. L'Ecole 41 does some whites that really merit attention. Pepper Bridge is an interesting place - I did a retrospective ten year tasting of 1998 Washington wines last year and also threw in a right bank Bordeaux just to keep it interesting. Pepper Bridge was fantastic. And they get very little press. K Vinters seems to be focusing on value wines and they do a decent job. I haven't had much from their top end though. Canoe Ridge is another one - decent wines around $20 and also Cougar Crest. More ambitious would be Dunham, Buty, and definitely Leonetti. Don't know if you'll get into Long Shadows. That's a project by the retired head of Stimson Lane, which is now Chat. St. Michelle. He got great winemakers from around the world to work with the grape that they know best. So his syrah is made by the former winemaker of Grange, the merlot is made by Michel Roland who seemingly makes half the wine in Bordeaux, and the cab is made by Randy Dunn from California. The only disappointment to me was the riesling - I think the basic bottling from Columbia Crest or Chat St Michelle is much better. Anyhow, you should be able to try some really wonderful wines. I'm a huge fan of Washington.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Walla Walla Wine Trip by GregT

  
  

• July 2009

  Woodward Canyon http://www.woodwardcanyon.com/content.cfm?id=15 and Leonetti http://www.leonetticellar.com/ are my favorites in that area (and probably for the whole state of Washington). Woodward Canyon has chardonnays and cabs that I've enjoyed very much over the past couple of... Read moreWoodward Canyon http://www.woodwardcanyon.com/content.cfm?id=15 and Leonetti http://www.leonetticellar.com/ are my favorites in that area (and probably for the whole state of Washington). Woodward Canyon has chardonnays and cabs that I've enjoyed very much over the past couple of decades, that are always good and often great. Leonetti makes great cabs, merlots, sangiovese and an often stunning meritage cab-based blend they call 'Reserve'. Also making excellent wine in that area are Dunham http://www.DunhamCellars.com/ , K Vintners http://www.KVintners.com/ , Cayuse http://www.cayusevineyards.com/ , and Walla Walla Vintners http://www.wallawallavintners.com/. These are the ones I know to be good, and there are many other wineries in the area, as well. Some of these places allow walk ins, some are by appointment only, and some won't see you unless you pull some strings (e.g. Leonetti and Cayuse). So a little planning ahead will pay off. Way back in college I spent a year in Walla Walla. Back in those days the area was famous only for its wheat and onions ('Walla Walla Sweets'). The town itself was a sleepy small-college town out in the middle of nowhere, without any restaurants, etc. to speak of. The area had abundant natural beauty, though, with the Blue Mountains nearby and the Wallowas further south across the Oregon border. Spent a plenty of time trekking and camping in those hills..... Anyway, a lot has changed since then, and in my personal opinion their wineries have done at least as much to put Washington State on the world wine map as any other area in the state. Look for excellent chardonnays, cabernet sauvignons, merlots, syrahs, sangioveses and even cabernet francs, malbecs, grenaches, viogniers, tempranillos and late-harvest rieslings from the wineries there.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Walla Walla Wine Trip by dmcker

  
  

• July 2009

  So DIS, is your interest coincidental, or was Philip asking in the first place as your proxy? I also like Bordeaux reds, very much, and have stored them, and California reds, and the odd dessert white (sauternes and trockenbeerenausleses) and fortified wines (ports and madeiras) for... Read moreSo DIS, is your interest coincidental, or was Philip asking in the first place as your proxy? I also like Bordeaux reds, very much, and have stored them, and California reds, and the odd dessert white (sauternes and trockenbeerenausleses) and fortified wines (ports and madeiras) for my daughters. I didn't have access to enough knowledge about Italian reds from Tuscany and the Piedmont back then, or I would've laid some of them down, too. Going for the top rank for your 2002s, I have had greater longterm success storing Latours and La Mission Haut Brions and maybe Lafites from multiple vintages than with Moutons and especially Haut Brions, though I'm talking about wines from the '50s through the '80s and styles and approaches have changed at some of those places (esp. Haut Brion) since then. Margauxs in my cellar have gone both ways regarding aging reliability. Amongst their second labels I'd go first with Les Forts de Latour then Pavillon Rouge, then the rest. These will last 20 years, too (especially if the 2005 vintage). If you're really looking to buy in this range than you should decide which chateau's wine you like best, I suppose. Palmer could definitely be included in this grouping, as well. I had a '57 Palmer last year that surprised me with its sophisticated finesse and remaining power, though I'd had very little expectation going into the tasting. Regarding the 2005s, for which prices are generally obscene, I'd be looking more at alternatives beyond even the whole 1855 classification. For example: --Chateau Poujeaux, which GregDP likes, so I'll leave descriptions, etc. to him ;-); --Chateau Chasse-Spleen, also (like Poujeaux) from the often overlooked Moulis district; --Chateau Potensac, a Cru Bourgeous from the Medoc that far outclasses many of the traditional Grand Crus; --Chateau Sociando-Mallet, ditto as for Potensac, made by one of Bordeaux's true 'characters'; --Chateau Pontet-Canet, Pauillac, a 5th Growth in the old Grand Cru classification that is much better than *many* of the higher-ranked growths--its vines grow next to some of the first growths; --Domaine de Chevalier, in Pessac Leognan, Graves (near Chateau Haut Brion and La Mission Haut Brion), which also produces a most excellent white (which white I wouldn't lay down for 20 years, though I did have an excellent bottle from '93 this past Christmas...). --And for an often-economical higher growth I've always enjoyed Chateau Cos d'Estournel, and this also, I believe, has the GregDP seal of approval. These have been my more-economical-yet-quite-reliably-good-to-excellent go-to Bordeauxs over the past couple of decades. Meyney almost makes the cut in this grouping for me, too. You can buy a lot more of them for the same price and have more festive future festivities, while also having bottles to 'sample' in the interim to ensure everything's going according to plan... ;-) Depending on your cellar capacity, budget and desires, why not also lay down some Californians? I've kept a range of Napa cabs for my daughters, a few pinot noirs (back then Chalone was the only California pinot I wanted to lay down but now I'd look at those from the Sonoma Coast, particularly, but other areas as well). And maybe some from the Columbia Valley in eastern Washington, too? I've stored Woodward Canyon cabs for more than 20 years that have been excellent, though I initially got interested in the vineyard because of their chardonnays. That was nearly 30 years ago, and now there are many other interesting options in the area, too. If you are interested in California recommendations I've got plenty of them, too, but will stop here and allow others to step in.... GregT, the friend who shopped the '82s for the acquaintance who hit the rocks a year or two ago isn't a typical wine merchant, if there is such an animal. He also is in the jewelry business, and other things I may or may not be aware of. He put the bottles up on the net almost in auction style off his own site, only releasing a few bottles at a time to test the waters. Response was huge from Hong Kong and Shanghai, and he ended up selling the last case of each chateau for two to three times the price of the first case. Good for my friend the merchant, but small consolation, I imagine, for the dashing of decades-old dreams for the acquaintance...    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Recommendation for a 2006... by dmcker

  
  

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