Monday, May 30, 2016

Lobster Wine #2

Not only did the cooking method and the wines vary for the lobsters this year the dipping sauces varied as well.  There were three drawn butters available, plain, lemon ginger, and a third that had a subtle hint of garlic, rosemary, tarragon and lavender in it.  With that butter the 2013 Kinkead Ridge Ohio River Valley Estate Viognier/Roussanne was tremendous. The wine was much more full bodied than the Dr L Riesling.  Melons and citrus and oily herbs were strong in this wine.  Those herbal flavors really matched well with the herbs in the butter.  The herb butter tended to overpower the Riesling, but it was a wonderful match for the Kinkead Ridge.

2013 Kinkead Ridge Ohio River Valley Estate Viognier/Roussanne.  14% alcohol and $16. 

Sunday, May 29, 2016

Lobster and Riesling

Yesterday was the annual lobster day and we steamed and grilled sixteen of the lovely critters.  For years this has been a "Chablis" day but this year we mixed things up a bit. 

First up was a 2014 Loosen Brothers Dr. L. Riesling from the Mosel.  Riesling is not my first choice for lobster but this one certainly worked well with the grilled version, not so much with the steamed version. A dry, tart and sharp wine with tons of the mineral sensation that somehow seemed to be a much better choice with the slight smokiness of the grilled lobster.  There was some fruit in the wine when it was chilled, a little more as the wine warmed up but mostly this was about how the minerality played with the smoke.

There was a long finish on this wine, one that gave a hint a sweetness at the very end.  At $11 a bottle this wine is amazing. 

Sarah before her demise
2014 Loosen Brothers Dr. L. Riesling, Mosel.  11% alcohol and $11.

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Spring Bloom

There was a major camera malfunction recently so I now must admit my addiction to that object.  It took three weeks for repair this time and to say I was lost without is an understatement.  The I-phone camera is fine but fine just doesn't get it done.  

There are wine notes and other things to post but I'll start with the first lily to bloom in the garden this spring, a yellow bee lily.  And the photo below is the resident canine complaining that I should not be taking pictures of flowers, I should be inside fixing her breakfast. 


Saturday, May 7, 2016

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Langhe Nebbiolo


One of the joys of poor record keeping is that once in awhile one discovers a forgotten bottle of wine.  That was the case several days ago with a bottle of 2004 Gianfranco Alessandria Langhe Nebbiolo.  I bought half a case of these when they were first issued and over the intervening years I drank them and enjoyed them.  My records showed all of the six consumed.

What I forgot was that I bought a seventh bottle at another wine store and apparently never entered it into what passes as my database.  It was not from the same store where I know the other six were purchased, so that is the only possible reason it was never entered into the database.  Also, it was not stored anywhere near the other Italian wines.  It was forgotten.

Of course I opened it.  Heaven in a bottle.  Dusty aromas of earth and flowers, great red fruit and body and tannin still giving its all for the fight.  It was mature and evolved, not youthful but not old.  The finish was long and perfect.  With two lamb chops it was delicious. 


2004 Gianfranco Alessandria Langhe Nebbiolo.  14% alcohol and the price tag said $15.