A.P. Vin 2004 Clos Pepe Vineyard Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir

We picked up a new Pinot Noir today at Selland's Market while getting some of their unbelievable carnitas to bring home for dinner. Selland's has a small but extremely well chosen selection of wine, thanks to Josh, and there is always a new small production winery among all the other options every time you go there.

Today's choice for us was the A.P. Vin 2004 Clos Pepe Vineyard Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir. Having had wine from several producers from this vineyard before I was expecting a wine that I would enjoy. This wine was aged in French oak for 11 months and was bottled unfined and unfiltered. Only 50 cases made.

In the glass a dense, slightly cloudy, dark garnet color. The nose promise me great things to come with black raspberry, blackberry, some floral, thyme, and wet stone. I take my first sip and can't help but smile. This is gooood..... Dark berries dominate the palate again with some dark cherry and light notes of earthiness. The oak is there but does not stand out, just playing a supporting element together with good acidity and relatively firm but well integrated tannins. The long beautiful finish with earthy berries makes this a wine to remember.

Owner and winemaker is Andrew P. Vingiello has a pretty impressive list of people to thank for advise and help through his start up years. Read more here. No wonder his wines are so high in quality...

At $44.99 this is not cheap wine, but oh so worth it. I am sorry to say that I can't find it online available for purchase. Give Selland's Market above a call for a bottle or two.

Vote for my blog here and help me stay in top 10 on The Blog Top!

No longer any need to help me stay in top 10. I need your help to reach top 10 again! Been bumped down to number 11... Get me up there again!!! I miss it...

Matchbook 2005 Dunnigan Hills Chardonnay

This is the second wine I review from the Crew Wine Co, John and Lane Giguiere. Read more about the Mossback Pinot Noir I reviewed not to long ago here.
On to the Matchbook 2005 Dunnigan Hills Chardonnay. This wine consists of 86% Dunnigan Hills fruit, a warm weather climate, and 14% Russian River Valley fruit, that has the coastal influence and adds structure and intensity to the wine. Aged in french oak for seven months.
I got white floral, apple, pear, a hint of pineapple and toasty oak on the nose. This wine has weight in the mouth with a round, creamy body of apple, citrus and vanilla oak. Doesn't sound to bad, but it is (to me)... The heavy weight and creaminess stayed with me much to long and leaved a cloying feeling in my mouth after swallowing, despite the relatively good acidity and tannins. This was not so much the case at first when it was really cold, but as it moved toward room temperature the viscosity level increased significantly. Not my cup of tea...
Maybe I am just not in a Chardonnay mood today. I will vacuum pump it and taste it again tomorrow. I will let you know if I have changed my mind.

I am also curious to see what you have to say about it. Have you tried it? If not you can find it at WineSearcher.com from $14.75. Won't empty your wallet. Try it and share your thoughts with me...


Vote for my blog here and help me stay in top 10 on The Blog Top!
I have finally reached top 10 and I am now striving to reach top 5!

MWC 2006 Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir

MWC stands for Margerum Wine Company and is a small winery run and owned by Dough Margerum. Margerum wines are produced in a 240 sq ft space behind Brander Vineyards facility in Los Olivos. All wines are hand crafted by Dough and he strives for individuality and to make wine he himself wants to drink.

The 2006 Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir shows a vivid, clear, ruby red color in the glass. On the nose slightly perfumey with raspberry, red cherry, earth, vanilla and a hint of herbs. In the mouth this wine shows bright, soft, red fruit/berries with earthy notes. This is not a power house pinot but more elegant and velvety with good acidity, and moderately firm, young tannins. For $24.95 at our local wine shop, Capitol Cellars, I honestly can say that this is a really good wine for the price.

Looking online I can only find this wine on one site, Los Olivos Wine Merchant (a great wine shop in the center of Santa Ynez wine country with the perfect lunch cafe), for $28.

Find it and try it...

Vote for my blog here and help me stay in top 10 on The Blog Top!
I have finally reached top 10 and I am now striving to reach top 5!

The Chocolate Society, London

Running into a chocolate shop when in London I could not resist but had to try their creations.

Hiding on 32-34 Shepherd Market in London The Chocolate Society offers bars, truffles, cooking chocolate and a full counter of a wide variety of handmade chocolates. It also had a small cafe with hot chocolate, ice cream, brownies and more. I picked up a few of the chocolates to give them a try.

Dark Chocolate Truffle: Velvety, creamy ganache covered in a shell of dark chocolate and dusted with cocoa powder. Pure, high quality chocolate. Great with the glass of Cabernet Sauvignon I had with it...
Tarte Tatin: The interior of this treat was a vanilla caramel mixed with an apple jam with flavor of cinnamon. The jam gave it a slight odd texture, but never the less it was really good and tasted like apple pie covered in milk chocolate.
Creme Caramel: This vanilla caramel had a more sugary texture then chewy. I prefer the chewy... It did however have a really nice buttery caramel flavor and was covered in dark chocolate and sprinkled with dark sugar. Very edible after all...
Champagne Truffle: This was the highlight of the pieces I tried. Looked like, and was made of the same velvety, dark chocolate ganache as the Dark Chocolate Truffle but with a subtle taste of Champagne. Just the way I like my champagne truffles! Again dipped in dark chocolate and dusted with cocoa powder. Wish I had more of this one...

What a great find just walking around London, offering a wide range of chocolate products and all of high quality. If you don't make it there you can order online at The Chocolate Society's website as they ship internationally.


Vote for my blog here and help me stay in top 10 on The Blog Top!
I have finally reached top 10 and I am now striving to reach top 5!

M2 Wines

Last Saturday we went to a wine tasting at our local wine store, featuring M2 Wines. I was not familiar with this winery and excited to try something new. Chris Matheny, owner and winemaker, did all the pouring and was very informative and loved to talk about his passion, and wine in general. Needless to say, I had a great time.

Chris Matheny and Layne Montgomery

M2 Wines got it's name from the first letter in two gentlemen last name, Layne Montgomery and Chris Matheny. The two of them met in 1999 and in 2000 they started making wine as amateurs. In 2004 it was time to go commercial and since 2006 they have their own winery in Lodi. M2 does not own their own vineyards but buys grapes from premium vineyards throughout California. That way they can source the different varietals from the areas where they express the best characteristics.
Chris explained to me that their goal as winemakers are to intervene as little as possible to let the vineyards and grapes express themselves in the wine, showing the essence of the location and the grape varietal. Getting there they use only the highest quality yeast, barrels, etc. Another amazing fact that only proves their commitment to producing great wine is that they actually punch down the cap 2-3 times per day. Far from always the case at many wineries...

On to the tasting:

The 2004 Dos Arkies California Red Wine (named after the fact that they are two guys from Arkansas) is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Petite Sirah. Great blend for $18 that is a tad bit low in complexity but easy and pleasing to drink. Red cherry, black berry, and blue berry dominates on the nose. The palate offers red cherry, black currant, some spiciness from black pepper, and smokey oak. Great value for this medium bodied wine that is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
The 2005 Singularity Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley($35) is a Cabernet Sauvignon blended with a small amount of Syrah and Petite Sirah. Did not take any tasting notes on this one as I was preoccupied talking to Chris... I do remember that I liked it...
Next up was the 2005 Duality Red Wine Sierra Foothills ($20). A blend of Syrah and Petite Sirah. Again, talking to much with Chris but I do remember the strong impression of the dried, smoked meat and dark berries that hit you big time on the nose. The palate again carried that dark fruit and berries along with mouth puckering firm, high tannins . Big wine, big tannins! This one demands a good BBQ!
The 2005 Row 23 Herzog Vineyard Clarksburg Petite Sirah ($28) was poured next. This wine offered floral/perfume on the nose with dark berries. On the palate vivid, round dark fruit and berries again, with smooth, round tannins. Different at that point from the previous wines that all had more edgy, firm tannins.
The last wine was a surprise as it was not on the tasting list. Chris had pulled a barrel sample that morning from the 2006 Clone 6 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (3-pack for $120) and poured is as a future. This one made me really excited. Only 175 cases produced this will be bottled in March and released in October next year. Straight out of a French oak barrel that morning this wine was bright in fruit with red cherry, black cherry and violet on the nose. The red and black cherry shows up on the palate again with black currant and oak notes. Very high in mouth puckering tannins at this point, I can not wait to see what it has to offer next October when my shipment is arriving.

This is a realtively new, up and coming winery and I am looking forward to follow them as they develop over the years. Their wines are all really nice and leaves a promise of things to come in the future.
Find their wines at their website.


Vote for my blog here and help me stay in top 10 on The Blog Top!
I have finally reached top 10 and I am now striving to reach top 5!

Atrium, Edinburgh Scotland

Atrium was established in 1993 by Andrew and Lisa Radford and is located in the Usher Hall with the Traverse and Lyceum Theatres. They have had a consistent reputation throughout the years of being one of the best restaurants in Edinburgh, having won several awards, and they use only premium ingredients sourced from local suppliers. This small, candle lit, restaurant served us the best meal we had during our 2 1/2 week long trip through England, Scotland and Ireland.

We were promptly seated upon arrival and after ordering wine and food an amuse bouche was served and this particular night we were treated to a Carrot Soup with Sesame Oil. Subtle flavors and great taste of summer through the baby carrots the soup was made from.

We went from there to sharing two starters. The Scallops with Tomato Risotto was exactly just that: small, sweet, tender scallops served on a bed of very creamy, rich, risotto with diced tomatoes. This was absolutely delicious and the perfect starter as it would have been to heavy as a full entree due to the risotto that was loaded with cream and cheese.

The Shaved Artichoke was served on a salad of baby lettuce, tomatoes and shaved Pecorino cheese. All surrounded by traces of olive tapenade, perfect to soak up with the homemade warm bread that was served at the table. The salad was very vivid in color and flavor, and delicious.

For entree my husband had the Maize Fed Chicken. This was hands down the best chicken I have ever tasted. The meat so moist and incredibly flavorful. Served with Vegetable Medley my husband raved about it for days. And still does...

I had the Halibut with Crab Salad on a bed of home made tagliatelle with green onions, yellow onion and tomatoes. The halibut again was out of this world in flavor and cooked to perfection. The crab salad it was topped with made a perfect match. The pasta was very good but a little bit overcooked. Al dente instead and this would truly have been an amazing dish.

Dessert made me scream for more! Chocolate....(something).... with Coffee Creme Anglais. Best chocolate dessert ever! Hard to describe but kind of like a gooey, cake/brownie batter baked in a pie pastry shell, beautifully cut and decorated, and then baked to perfection. Served warm on a mirror of coffee creme anglais. Warm, gooey, intense dark chocolate. Could you ask for anything more?

On top of this complementary after dinner treats was served. I was stuffed at this point, but had to taste the Chocolate Chip Biscuit, Bittersweet Dark Chocolate Truffle, and a "Oat/Granola Bar Cookie". All delicious of course.

The other highlight of the night was the wine. I choose a Pinot Noir from New Zealand that I hadn't heard of before. At a price of around 35 British pound we did not expect greatness, but it turned out to be delicious. One of the best bottles we had during the trip. So what bottle then? It was the Momo 2005 Seresin Estate Marlboruough Pinot Noir. Intense in raspberry, cherry and great acidity and tannins. Medium bodied with a long finish. A great wine that I almost cried over when getting back and realizing that it is not available in the US. Retailing for US$20-25 in England it would have been a great everyday drinking wine! Let me know if you have found it somewhere out there and know something I don't know. I want this wine!!!

The service throughout the evening was attentive but not over the top. Being used to "American" service we thought it was a little bit slow at times, but we were in no hurry and enjoyed our evening.

If you ever find yourself in the Edinburgh area this establishment is a must visit!

Vote for my blog here and help me stay in top 10 on The Blog Top!
I have finally reached top 10 and I am now striving to reach top 5!

Sonoma Coast Vineyards 2004 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

The Sonoma Coast Vineyards 2004 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is composed of grapes from seven vineyards, Abbott, Baranoff, Clay, Koos, Leepin, Nunes and Zephyr Vineyards. It spent 20 months in oak barrels, 50% being new French Oak.

This was my first time having a wine from this winery and it was thanks to my husband who brought it home after finding it at BevMo and thought it looked like it was worth a try. BevMo's price was $54 for this bottle and the only other place I can find it online to purchase is at the winery's website for $60.

On to the actual tasting. A big, dark ruby red color greats me in the glass just before discovering dark cherry, dark raspberry, blueberry and an earthy quality with some grass/herb nuances, on the nose. I am very excited at this point can't wait to take a sip. Again the black cherry is there with some involvement of red cherry as well. Dark berries makes an impact as well with some oak notes at the end. The acidity is definitley there in the right amounts and the tannins are pronounced yet round and velvety.

Not knowing quite what to expect I was very pleased with this wine. The balance between ripe fruit and berries,the notes of earth and grass/herb and the beautiful tannins, plays out great. At the end resulting in a lush, ripe Pinot Noir that still possesses the more delicate nature of a cool climate Pinot. This is a Pinot I will definitely have again. You should try it to!

Vote for my blog here and help me stay in top 10 on The Blog Top!
I have finally reached top 10 and I am now striving to reach top 5!

Theo Randall at The Intercontinental, London

We just came back after spending 2 1/2 week in London, Scotland and Ireland and I have a few places that I would like to share with you. Today I am starting with Theo Randall at The Intercontinental Park Lane in London.

Theo Randall just opened his first own restaurant in fall of 2006 at the Intercontinental after 17 years at The River Cafe in London. The restaurant has a sleek, contemporary interior design with extensive wood flooring and wood paneling on the walls, and accessories in brown and green colors. The food is Italian with Theo's personal twist, and both the ingredients and presentation are simple with stunning results.

My husband started with the Insalata Mista with greens, big chunks of sun ripe tomatoes, and Pecorino cheese. With great quality green and intensely flavored tomatoes this was a simple but delicious light start to the meal. I had to try the Scottish Scallop with Lentils. Beautiful sweet scallops with a salty and spicy component as it was topped with capers and thin slices of green chili. The scallops was sitting on a bed of subtly seasoned and flavored lentils. A delicious pairing that gave a flavor and texture contrast but in no way competed with the scallops.

For main course seafood, duck and rabbit were the options and my husband not eating any of these had to ask for a special dish. They presented him with a Roasted Chicken with a Vegetable Medley. I did not taste this dish but he was happy with the dish, although far from blown away. I on the other hand was thrilled to see all the seafood options and choose the Linguini with Brown Shrimp and Shredded Zucchini. The brown shrimp was the smallest shrimp I have ever seen (about the size of my thumb nail). Very flavorful although some of them a tad bit tough as I am sure they can't be easy to cook to perfection because of their size. The shredded zucchini was a great match, and the home made pasta perfectly al dente. A subtle and delicious dish! I would love to recreate this at home and will have to go on a hunt for brown shrimp as I have never seen them here in the States...

Time had come for dessert. Seeing a Soft Chocolate Cake on the menu I knew I had to try it. This soft chocolate cake was in the style of a fallen souffle cake and was paired with vanilla mascarpone whipped to a velvety, airy texture. Delicious!

We had a bottle of 2001 Barolo with our meal. I do not remember or take notes on the producer but it was a really good bottle and although it was not the best choice to go with my seafood dishes I still enjoyed it.

All in all my husband was not to impressed with this restaurant although he though he had a good meal. I on the other hand really enjoyed my meal and would definitely go back for a second visit had I lived in London. Each dish has few, but high quality ingredients and Theo Randall really works magic with them. The simplicity is just beautiful. It proves again that less is more...

Vote for my blog here and help me stay in top 10 on The Blog Top!
I have finally reached top 10 and I am now striving to reach top 5!

Demetria 2005 Gaia Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay

The grapes for the Demetria 2005 Sta. Rita Hills are from Gaia Vineyard (as the label suggest). What you might not know is that Gaia Vineyard is the former Ashley's Vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills appellation. 600 cases was produced of this wine. The estate owner, John Zahoudanis, has hired Michael Roth as winemaker. Micheal Roth has previously made wine in Napa Valley, Sonoma County and at Koehler in Santa Ynez Valley.

This wine shows pale straw color in the glass. Sticking your nose into the glass citrus, tropical fruit, and bread yeast stands out, with a hint of oaky vanilla. On the palate, pronounced citrus, ripe apple, wrapped up in a round mouth feel. Towards the end mineral steps in with high acidity which balances the slightly creamy, round palate perfectly. It all makes this wine medium to full-bodied with a refreshing lingering finish.

I really liked this Chardonnay as it showed some round creaminess and oak, but to my taste it was immediately complemented and balanced by really good acidity. Round and refreshing at the same time. Perfect!

Find this wine at Wine-Searcher.com from $22.62, a price that I would easily pay again for this gem.

Vote for my blog here and help me stay in top 10 on The Blog Top!
I have finally reached top 10 and I am now striving to reach top 5!