Long Winded! Lots of Tasting Stuff!

I hope that this entry isn’t too long, but I have a lot to report. These items aren’t in chronological order, but here ya go:

For those of you who receive the Vegas Wineaux newsletter, you noticed that I did a little blurb on a car repair facility that I felt was absolutely miraculous (honest *and* reasonably priced). The newsletter said it was "$ & M Auto Service Systems.” Oops. Money on the mind, I guess. Well, it’s supposed to be “R & M Auto Service Systems.” Sheesh. Keyboard issues.

Wednesday night found me at Onda, the Wine Bar at the Mirage. I knew that they would be pouring wines from a new winery, but I had no idea. I ended up taking notes on an old envelope and scraps of paper, so you have to bear with me.

Daou Vineyards is owned by brothers Georges and Daniel Daou. Their vineyard is located on the West side of Paso Robles (yay). They have several lines of wines, and their La Capilla line was poured at Onda. They also have Lodi fruit as well.

At this time, they are making reds only, with a Viognier being planned for limited release later this year. Daniel spent some time at our table, talking about wine as a passion and how one day he decided that making wine was his life’s destiny.

Six wines were poured and I’m offering my tasting notes. YMMV.

2005 La Capilla Saveur (Lodi) – medium bodied Petit Sirah that offers smoke, berries, plums, chocolate and dust on the nose, with the same on the palate. It has an interesting fleshy component, soft, well-integrated tannins, nicely viscous without being “thick,” and a long, minerally finish. Not like the fruit bombs I’m used to, but has subtlety and class.

2005 La Capilla Melange (Paso Robles) – This is a Cabernet/Syrah blend (61%/39%) with plum, cassis, earth, espresso and a touch of cedar on the nose. On the palate, the taste reflects the nose, along with integrated tannins and a bit of pepper on the medium finish.

2006 La Capilla Old Vines Zinfandel (Lodi) – Jammy nose, lots of dark fruit, spice (can’t tell which), and a very clean, crisp palate. Surprisingly austere for Central Coast wines, it has lots of earthy Zin flavor.

2006 La Capilla Old Vines Zinfandel Reserve (Lodi) – Very similar to the previous Zin, but earthier, with a rich dark fruit component, which adds to its complexity. Smoky for a Zin, and with an interesting herbal component (this is a good thing), and a long finish.

2006 La Capilla Syrah (Paso Robles) – Okay, this one was my favorite, hands down. Rich dark fruit, berries, ash, smoke, spice, and a rich, glass-coating viscosity. Varied berry flavors on the tongue, with a long, minerally finish. Rich tooth-stainer! Yum!

2006 La Capilla Cabernet Sauvignon (Paso Robles) – Bright fruit, cigar box, cocoa, cassis, plums, with firm, balanced tannins, good acid, and a long, fruity finish.

Daou Vineyards has a great web presence, and I encourage you to go take a look at their site.

By the way, Daniel indicated that they plan to return to Onda on March 12.

I hosted the Fritz & Tex's Wine Club Thing at my home last Saturday night, and had a wonderful time doing so. The theme (which I picked) was all about single varietal wines. The wines were Zinfandel, Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah, Garnacha, and an Argentinean Tempranillo. All fabulous, all tasty.

When putting together the tasting notes, I realized that there were several wines that had apparently never been submitted to any of the Mega-Winemags for evaluation. In case you didn't know, the tasters for these magazines don't go running out to find the wines … the winemakers submit their wines for tasting analysis. Such a gamble can make or break a winemaker. If the wine is universally loved, the prices can skyrocket and the wine may achieve "cult" status. If the wine is universally panned, you may see it on the clearance shelf of the local Walgreen's Pharmacy along with the bargain bottles of white zin.

Of course, those of us who love particular wines experience a special evil glee when a famed wine taster dislikes a wine. More for us!!! Especially since so many people slavishly follow the tasters' recommendations and often do their shopping based on scores alone.

Another thing that people tend to forget is that just like the rest of us, tasters have their preferences. I would go so far to say that there is no absolutely neutral taster out there.

One of the most well-known and high profile wine tasters is Robert Parker. He has the ability to make or break winemakers based on his evaluations of wines. And people will take his word as gospel.

I've found that my palate does not usually agree with Mr. Parker's. If he raves over a wine, you can be pretty sure that I will find it overdone, high-alcohol, and a little too much over the top. If he *likes* a wine and gives it a score in the mid to upper 80s, it's almost a guarantee that I will love it. Mr. Parker's palate apparently tends to prefer the more fruit-forward, very New World types, while I prefer true varietal character. To be sure, I like many of the wines that he likes, but I also know that we have our preferences and differences.

Last year Mr. Parker panned Kosta Browne's releases. Woo hoo!! That meant that the prices didn't skyrocket, and I was able to acquire more bottles. I'm a happy woman! I can only hope that Kosta Browne continues in its quest for true varietal character and doesn't stoop to making wine for the critics instead of good, solid wine for the rest of us.

But I digress.

I ranted about all of that just to say that I found several tasters online who do a wonderful job of evaluating and critiquing wines, often in language that everyday folks like us can relate to. Just because they aren't hired by a mega-wine magazine or are wine celebrities, doesn't mean that there's anything wrong with their assessments.

So I found a couple of wonderful, real-world wine reviews that I used in the notes for the blind tasting. One of these is the Ambassador of Wine which is run by a Seattle-area steakhouse waiter. His insight and envy-provoking descriptions are fun to read.

The other is Nick On Wine, who, besides being one of my Friends on MySpace, also has a fabulous Blog. Not quite a “regular” person, Nick Anthony is Akronewsnow's resident wine educator and columnist. Nevertheless, his reviews are unpretentious and easy to understand.

So there you have it. Get out there and drink some wine!

If you receive two notices of the Blog update, it's only because I 'm transitioning from one mail service to another. Thanks for your patience.

Vegas Wineaux Tastes on The Strip!

A brightly colored email caught my attention, and I decided to follow up on it even though it was located on The Strip, the bane of the locals. Not really – after all, the Strip is our economy’s bread and butter – but in order to be a “true” local, hating the Strip is an intrinsic ritual. For those of you who are not locals, the Strip is Las Vegas Boulevard, which provides the money shot of the casinos in most documentaries/movies/tv programs/Travel Channel, etc., about Las Vegas. But I digress.

Onda Restaurant at the Mirage, as it turns out, has a great wine tasting especially for locals every three/four Wednesdays or so. At $15.00, it is quite the steal.

The wine at Wednesday night’s tasting was Sonoma-Cutrer and a couple of its second labels. Terri Stamp, the On-Premise Market Manager of Brown-Forman, did the pouring honors.

The first wine was Bonterra 2006 Sauvignon Blanc, made from 52% Lake County and 48% Mendocino County grapes. Very fragrant, it has notes of citrus, lemongrass, cat pee, and some grassiness. On the palate, it is fresh and vibrant, with tropical fruit, grapefruit, and melon, and has a more assertive mineral backbone than most New Zealand Sauv Blancs. The happy part about this wonderful combination is the fact that the grapes are organically and sustainably farmed. Shame on me, I didn’t get the restaurant price, but it retails about about $13.00.

The next wine was Sonoma-Cutrer 2004 Les Pierres Vineyard Chardonnay. Even though the literature doesn’t state it, I’m guessing that it was aged in French oak due to the subtle creamy nature that has an overlying mineral backbone and good acid (that means food-friendly) core. Characteristics of Granny Smith apple, lemon, cream, and lime zest race across the nose and palate. In my opinion, it is a good balance between the attributes that oak imparts and the clear aromas and flavors of an unoaked Chard. It’s relatively austere compared to the “regular” Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay, but I feel that it’s much more suitable for pairing with a wider variety of food. Nice effort, enjoyable wine. Once again, I don’t know the restaurant’s price, but it retails at about $40.00.

Pinot Noir. Yum. The 2004 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir was my favorite. Not because it is an earth-shattering, life-changing wine, but because it’s so, well, *Pinot*!! What can I say? A quick sniff had me saying, “smells like Pinot.” Berries, cherries, strawberries, cola, earth, smoke, and more on the nose. On the palate, it had all the berries, with subtle earthiness and smoke. A good acid core guarantees that this wine is perfect with turkey (dark meat), as well as the usual food suspects. Yummy. If you can find it, it retails at about $25.00, and is comparable (in my opinion) to many higher-end Pinots. I understand that this vintage will only be available to Sonoma-Cutrer wine club members and restaurants. If you’re a Pinot Ho like me, it’s worth the effort to search for it.

The last wine tasted was the 2004 Mariah Zinfandel, Mendocino County, which was my first experience with a Mendocino County Zinfandel. On the nose there were berries, dark fruit, coffee, a touch of cocoa, and some pepper. It is a rustic type of Zin, with the typical Zin dark fruit and earthiness and a surprisingly smooth finish. It still does not come up to my standard (hey! I’m into Paso Zinfandels!!), but it is very tasty nonetheless. It retails at about $25.00 or so.

Now for the real fun part. The food! Along with the wonderful wines come appetizers. The first course is a breadbasket with a rustic bread, a baguette-style “regular” bread, and some delicious Gorgonzola-laced breadsticks. The individual appetizer plate was beautifully presented and consisted of Genoa and Cotto salamis, Manchego and Gorgonzola cheeses, marinated olives, and candied walnuts. OF COURSE there had to be further food experimentation, so an additional meat and cheese platter was ordered. The cheeses were Tête de Moine, a cheese that can only be described as ethereal; Idiazabel, a Manchego-style Spanish cheese; Morbier, the French ash cheese; Duck Prosciutto (!!!), which is rich and wonderful; Quince preserves, and Cabernet and Shiraz jellies. Jeff Braun, the Assistant Executive Chef, came up with the idea to provide the Duck Prosciutto. He felt that people who patronized the restaurant would like something a little different. The Duck Prosciutto most deliciously fills the bill.

I have to mention Danny Smith, who was the server at our table. He was familiar with all of the items on the menu and the service was impeccable.

I had an opportunity to speak with Randy Zammit, the Manager of Onda. The staff came up with the idea to have wine tastings for Las Vegas locals in order to attract those of us who generally avoid the Strip. It was admittedly a gamble, but bit by bit, the number of customers grows at every tasting. I will admit that even though I’m also a Strip-phobic local, the lure of a periodical wine tasting at the Mirage is hard to resist.

Randy pointed out that Onda has “Rush Hour Wines” wine tastings every Friday night from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. The wines are complimentary, and while they get a few tourists, they have the red carpet laid out for us locals. That is, if we’re brave enough to confront the wilds of the Strip on a Friday night! It’s a great after work wind-down time.

So if you decide to go to Onda one Friday night, find Randy and tell him that Irene from Vegas Wineaux sent you. You won’t get anything other than what they have on the tasting menu, but, hey! He’ll know that there’s a network of locals who are willing to go to the Strip to take care of their wine Jones! And, yes, I plan to visit one Friday night and will definitely go to another Wednesday tasting. It’s a great value, especially considering the location. Four wines and world-class appetizers at the Mirage for $15.00. A deal in anybody’s book!

As I write this early Thursday evening, I’m also getting ready to go taste some Beaujolais Nouveau tonight at Khoury’s. This is going to be a BN fun run for the next few days/weeks, and I’ll be more than happy to share my opinion of this year’s vintage.

Stay tuned!