Vincent Paris 'Les Côtes' Saint-Joseph Red Wine 2019

Domaine Vincent Paris 'Les Côtes' Saint-Joseph Red Wine 2019

Linda prepared beef stroganoff and I pulled from the cellar this big hearty Sirah. I recently picked this up at Binny's, the Chicagoland Beverage super store to 'try before I buy' for our cellar collection. Based on this experience tonight, I'll definitely be running back to pick up more of this label for bright expressive fruit and good QPR (quality-price-ratio) drinking. 

This is from the Saint Joseph appellation in the Côtes du Rhône of the Rhone River Valley that stretches from the city of Vienne in the north to Avignon is the south. Sitting in the northern Rhone River Valley, it is the region's largest appellation in terms of geographical coverage. The appellation is known for red wine made primarily from the Syrah grape varietal, and a small amount, about ten percent, white wine made from Marsanne and Roussanne grapes that may be blended together in varying proportions.

The Saint-Joseph appellation was designated in 1956 and consisted of six parishes, and was expanded in 1969 based on the success and popularity of its wines. It now covers more than 26 communes extending about 30 miles from Chavanay in the north in the Condrieu territory, to Chateaubourg in the south.

This is 100% Syrah from vineyards in the village of Ardoix about 30 km north of Cornas in the central part of the appellation. 10 and 20 year old vines. Prunes to only four bunches of grapes per vine (the norm is between five and seven) for richer more concentrated fruit.

The area extending down to Cornas is known to produce some of the world’s best varietal fruit of the Syrah grape. The area terrain sits on the slopes facing east in the river valley. Saint-Joseph wines are generally made in a lighter style, for earlier consumption (no more than four years), and lean towards fruitier flavors with softer tannins rather than the meatier, leathery style of Hermitage appellation based wines produced across the river. The best sites are set on primary rock formations, consisting of gneiss, granite and mica-rich schist, while others are set on limestone outcrops, or the alluvial soils of ancient glacial terraces. These soils are reflected in characteristics in the wines produced from them.

As soon as the cork was extracted the room filled with aroma's of black and blue fruits and spice. 

Pouring this into the glass it was dark inky purple colored, medium-full bodied, bold vibrant, complex but nicely balanced, elegant rich blackberry fruits with notes of ripe blueberry, spice, black pepper with full soft smooth tannins on the long finish. 

RM 91 points. 

This was rated 91-93 pts by Vinous. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3735670

La Presqu'Ile Restaurant à Bédarrides Vaucluse France

La Presqu'Ile Restaurant à Bédarrides, Vaucluse, France

Following our private tour and tasting at Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe. Châteauneuf-du-Pape, proprietor Andre Brunier arranged for us a perfect lunch table at a picturesque local restaurant nearby in the small village of Bédarrides, located at the entry to Chateauneuf-du-Pape, equidistant (12km) from Avignon, Carpentras and Orange. 

This was magnamimous given it was an extraordinary dining experience despite the fact they didn't have on offer his wine (s). 

The restaurant Le'Presquile, was just down the road, very close to the Vieux Telegraph estate, cited on the circular road that traverses the circular shaped town at the confluence of the river Ouvèze, in a setting opposite the village, that feels like a small island. 

 

The village is accessed via an adjacent postcard worthy historic old bridge, built in 1647. 

 

The restaurant opened for lunch and we were but two diners giving us the option of sitting in-doors, or outside on a wonderful vine covered terrace overlooking the river. 

The setting, food and wine service could not have been more delightful. 

We had skirt/flank steak, beef burgers and salads. With our entrees we ordered from the winelist this St Josef Northern Rhone Syrah. 

M. Chapoutier St. Joseph Deschants Syrah 2017

The Saint-Joseph appellation extends around fifty kilometres on the right bank of the River Rhone, from Chavanay in the north to Guilherand-Granges, near Valence, in the south. The mainly-east facing vineyards are planted on the steep slopes of gneiss and local granite schist, occasionally coated with lenses of loess. This variety of substrates results in wines of "complexity, volume and tautness in our Deschants wine", according to the producer. 

The vineyard was originally established in the areas surrounding Tournon : Mauves, Saint-Jean de Muzols et Lemps. ” Mauves wines ” were higly reputed in the last century even as far as Russia, on the Tsars’ dining table. Two sites had already gained respect at that time.  Saint-Joseph hill-side, a parcel of land owned today by maison Chapoutier, and that of Saint-Épine. 

The soil is granitic and slightly acidic, on the right bank of the Rhône on the foothills of the Massif Central. Chapoutier own the parcel of Saint-Joseph, situated between Mauves and Tournon, which has given its name to the appellation.

This was 100% Syrah sourced from the southern sector from Arras down to Mauves, 40% estate fruit and the remainder 60% purchased, Aged 60% in vat and 40% oak casks for 12-18 months. Production was 170,000 bottles.

Wine Advocate rated this wine 91-93 to points. 

Dark garnet colored, full bodied, concentrated black cherry and blueberry fruits with notes of floral, cassis, olive tapenade, cracked pepper, spice and black tea, with soft, ripe tannins and lingering on the finish. 

RM 91 points.   

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=3331539

https://www.chapoutier.com/en/shop/deschants/2017/50 

https://lapresquile.business.site/

Le District NYC Wine-Dine

Le District NYC for an immersive classic French, NY culinary experience

Another one of the highlights of our NYC getaway weekend was a trip to Le District down in the financial district. Consider this the French equivalent of the immensely popular Eataly that provides an immersive experience of a Italian village market.

Le District strives to recreate a French village market experience. Le District is actually three districts in one; the Cafe District offers a range of coffee delights, pastries, crepes, chocolates and French treats to indulge one's sweet tooth, the Market District. a shopping and culinary

extravaganza with Boulangerie, Delices du chef, Cheese and Charcuterie, Rotisserie, Boucherie & Poissonnerie; and the Garden District for groceries, flowers, salad bar - all authentic French inspired, of course.

We went down to Le District for pre-dinner wine and small plates. We could've spent the entire weekend there shopping, dining, exploring, taking in the whole experience.

For pre-dinner we dined at Beaubourg Brasserie which they refer to being as much classic New York as classic French. Beubourg means literally “pretty village”, like the namesake a vibrant area in the heart of Paris. We dined at a table with a picturesque view overlooking sunset on the Hudson adjacent to 'Le Bar'.

We dined on Foie Gras Terrine, Steamed Mussels in saffron broth and shave fennel and a charcuterie selection of cheeses: Brie du Pommier (cow), Crottin de Chavignol (goat), Fourmé d’Ambert (cow), and Comte Elegancé, each better than the next. 

To accompany our small plates we ordered a bottle of J.L. Chave Sélection St. Joseph Offerus Syrah 2014. 

The vineyards used for Offerus are located in two distinct St. Joseph areas. The communities of Mauves, Tournon, and St. Jean de Muzols yield over 80% of the blend and are owned by Jean-Louis. The remaining vineyards are located in more northerly communities around Serrières, and even these are farmed mainly by Jean-Louis, though he doesn’t own the vineyards.

This cépage is composed of 100% Syrah, dark garnet colored, full bodied, concentrated, dense, complex brambly blackberry with notes of black raspberry and hints of blueberry, floral with tones of tapenade, leather and spice with hints of anise and tightly wound tannins on the firm finish. A bit much for the mussels but ideal for the hearty cheese and pate.

RM 89 points. 

Vinous gave this 91 points

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2319834

https://www.ledistrict.com/

Murray's Cheese - and wine too

Cheese, Murray's Cheese ... and some wine too ...

Enjoying a get-away weekend with son Ryan and daughter-in-law Michelle, visiting son Alec in NYC, we dined at Murray's Cheese Bar in Greenwich Village, one of his favorite haunts. The eatery is a few doors down Bleecker Street, from the legendary cheese retailer and wholesaler. As in earlier adventures there, we left it to the 'Cheese Monger' to select our cheese flight - one of five and one of eight different cheeses or meats.

Each cheese meat combination is paired with a sauce, spread or associated delectable accompaniment such as a orange marmelaide or a pistachio paste, both shown below.

The presentation of the cheese plates by the Cheese Mavin servers was masterful, poetic, professional and informative, a performance deserving of more attention and respect and worthy of an ovation! Following the cheese meat plates came Mussels in white wine broth, grilled Kale sprouts, and Lamb meatballs in a tomato fennel sauce and feta cheese.

For pairing, we selected three wines from Murray's winelist, one white and two reds. For the white, there's always room for a bubbly, a sparkling wine, we selected Domaine Huet Vouvray Pétillant, a Chenin Blanc based wine from the Vouvray in the Loire Valley in Northern France.

Chenin Blanc is not normally associated with sparkling wine, the specialty and province of Champagne in France, rather the incredibly versatile grape is used across the range of dry whites, to semi-sweet to luscious sweet wines.

This version of sparkling wine is considerably less expensive than a Champagne of equivalent quality.

Domaine Huet Vouvray Pétillant Cuvée Huet Brut 2010

This was light, straw colored, crisp and minerally with a bouquet and flavors of floral, peach, ripe pear and sweet spice giving way to almond and a layer of yeast that came across as a bit pasty that diminished the fruits.

RM 87 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1413192






Laurent Betton Saint-Joseph Syrah 2013, Rhone Valley, France

The tangy acid was a nice accompaniment to the hearty bold cheeses and meats.

Son Ryan favors and drinks a lot of these Northern Rhone Valley Syrahs. This was much lighter than those we are accustomed to drinking, from the Rhone Valley, or Syrahs we get from Australia or even California.

This was ruby colored, medium light bodied, crisp bright acidity with black berry fruits, tones of black pepper and a layer of graphite creosote with a tangy spicy finish.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2112330


La Poderina Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese 2010, Tuscany, Italy 

This bigger bolder more complex and concentrated wine rounded out our flight with a different style and character that matched the boldest and most forward cheeses, and the meats in the tasting.

This was ideally paired with the Lamb meatballs in tomato fennel sauce. 

Dark blackish garnet colored, medium full bodied,  complex, concentrated layers of rather subdued dried blackberry and black cherry, tones of smoke, leather, tobacco and hints of cedar spicy oak and graphite on a smooth polished moderate tannin finish.

This was so good, we ordered a second bottle! 

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2104005

http://www.murrayscheesebar.com/

A highlight of the weekend was seeing Alec's new apartment with its spectacular views from Midtown to the financial district, shown below.

Murray Cheese Selection

Thanksgiving feast features diverse Pinot vs Rhone Wine Approach

Thanksgiving feast features diverse Pinot vs Rhone Approach to Wine Pairing

Thanksgiving dinner was held at son Ryan's and Michelle's for a gala family gathering of seventeen. Ryan and I both sourced some special wines for the event, taking two divergent approaches to accompany the dinner feast. Ryan served two Rhone wines while I brought two California Pinot Noirs. Both were ideal accompaniments to the delicious festive turkey, yams, mashed potatoes, dressing and gravy.

From the Northern Rhone, Ryan served Guigal Saint Joseph, and from the Southern Rhone, he served a Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape. From California I brought a Calera Ryan Vineyard Pinot Noir and a Ninety Plus Cellars Sonoma Pinot Noir.

Rhone Valley Syrah

I admit we've missed out on Northern Rhone Syrahs which is tragic given our fondness for Syrah/Shiraz, and considering how much we collect and drink this varietal. We do hold a collection of (Southern Rhone) Chateauneuf-du-Papes which include Syrah in the blend, but our focus has been primarily on Australian Syrah/Shiraz with an occasional Californian and once in a while, one from Washington State.

Son Ryan has discovered Northern Rhone labels and has been preaching their virtues and brought them to our attention. These are the original old world Syrahs, after all, and deserve attention of fans of the varietal.

Readers of this blog might recall our visit to the legendary Napa Valley Syrah producer Lagier-Meredith, where Carol Meredith is a plant geneticist. I asked her about the relationship between the Shiraz and Syrah varietals from the Rhone Valley, California and Australia. She indicated that at the end of the day, they're all related and essentially from the same lineage. So differences in labels from the various regions should be attributed generally to terrior, the distinct sense of 'place' from where the grapes are sourced - soil, climate, exposure, etc.

Tonight's Rhone experience showed two remarkable Syrahs or Syrah inclusive blends.

Guigal Saint Joseph Rhone 2009

Of course, knowledgeable wine folks know that old world producers (Italy, France, Germany) name or label their wines after the appellation or place where the grapes in the wine are sourced - Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Burgundy, St. Emilion, Bordeaux, and leave it to the consumer to know what grapes are associated with that growing area. New world producers, on the other hand, name or label their wines after the grape or varietal in the bottle - Merlot, Cabernet, Syrah, etc., as well as the locale from where the grapes are sourced. One might argue that this may be due to the fact that New World wine consumers are less knowledgeable, but it could also be argued that there is less correlation between regions and the varietals grown there - such as Sonoma Cabernet (a Bordeaux varietal) as well as Pinot Noir (a Burgundy varietal).

Guigal Saint Joseph Rhone 2009

While not as complex in the blend as a Chateauneuf-du-Pape, which features Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre, (hence the moniker 'GSM' given to some of this blend when from other regions), perhaps Cinsault, and may include several other varietals, this single varietal Syrah based wine still showed notable depth and complexity. This Northern Rhone label provides high QPR (quality to price ratio), especially compared to the CDP's and some of the named label Northern Rhones.

This was dark garnet and purple colored, medium full bodied, aromas and flavors of full, forward ripe black berry and black cherry fruits accented by a layer of cracked pepper, herbs, and tones of smoked meat, hints of creosote and smoke, with medium acidity, gripping but approachable tannins. 

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1262699


Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau 2009

A visit to this legendary producer was one of the highlights of our trip to Chateauneuf-du-Pape a few years ago.

This was one of the most expressive, vibrant yet balanced and polished Vieux-Telegraphs, or CDP's for that matter, that I recall having in a long time.

Bright garnet colored, medium-full bodied, lively, rich, concentrated, forward red berry fruits predominate, accented by some dark berry flavors with a pleasant flavorful punctuation of tones of white pepper and hints of clove on a long elegant complex but smooth polished finish.

RM 93 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1023306


Fitting the occasion of son Ryan hosting the holiday, I brought a Ryan Vineyard Calera Mt Harlan Pinot Noir along with a Ninety Plus Cellars Lot 125 Monterey County Pinot Noir for a comparison tasting.

Calera are one of the original Pinot Noir varietal producers in California dating back to the '70's. Their founding and ascent are featured in the entertaining and educational classic wine book "The Heart Break Grape", about the challenges of finding and developing a suitable site for the finicky Pinot Nor grape in the untested California wine regions. Calera, known for vineyard designated Pinots released the Ryan Vineyard label in the last decade with the 2004 vintage release.


Pinot Noir makes up a fraction of our cellar collection as I am not a big fan or collector of Pinot Noir, but we do keep a couple labels for suitable drinking to fit the cuisine and occasion. Hence, I tend to be less discriminating and palate trained in Pinot than I am the Bordeaux varietals, which I favor. Knowing Ryan was opening Rhone wines, I selected and brought Pinot Noir, also suited to traditional Thanksgiving fare cuisine.

Perhaps it is my lack of Pinot discernment that I found a $46 to be almost comparable to one costing less than half the price, however, as I've written often, Ninety-Plus Cellars and the negociant practice often feature quality releases at a fraction of their comparable value due to their sourcing of overstock or excessive inventory from acclaimed producers. Such producers' branding is maintained by their anonymity as they are indicated by their "Lot' designation.

Hence this comparison tasting between these two Pinots.

Calera Ryan Vineyard Mt Harlan Pinot Noir 2011

Translucent ruby red colored, medium light bodied, scent of dusty rose, cherry and raspberry fruit flavors with a hint of cola and spice turning to tones of mushroom and smoke with fine grained delicate tannins on the moderate lingering finish.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1774888

 

Ninety Plus Cellars Lot 125 Monterey County Pinot Noir 2013

Similar characteristics to the Calera, albeit slightly less complex and less polished. While the Monterey County source for the fruit is unknown, it could come from the area close to or similiar to the Hollister Mt Harlan site of Calera. This provides good QPR (quality price ratio) with similarity to the Calera at a fraction of the price.

Garnet colored, medium light bodied, aromas and flavors of red raspberries and black cherry give way to tones of tangy clove spice and hint of cinnamon on the clinging tannin finish. 

RM 87 points.


https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=2163001