Breaux Nebbiolo Vertical

Breaux Vineyards does three verticals each year: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and, my favorite, the Nebbiolo Vertical.

Nebbiolo is a grape originally grown in the Piedmont region of Italy. The Italians use the Nebbiolo grape to produce a wine called Barolo, also called the "King of Wines." The Nebbiolo grape produces a powerful wine that is very tannic when young. In the Piedmont region Barolo is aged 4-5 years before it is released:

If Barolo is produced in the traditional style, it can be "hard" when young. It needs to be aged in order to become "mellow." In fact, production rule stipulates that Barolo is not Barolo until it has aged for at least three years at the winery. If it is to be called, "Riserva," it must age at least five years. Barolo is best with additional aging and is often left to age for between ten and twenty years after the vintage year.

Dave Collins, the winemaker at Breaux Vineyards, makes his Nebbiolo in the traditional Barolo style. He ages the wine for 32 months (though, he does siphon some of the best off after 24 months for Cellar Club members).

Because the wines are made so well the current release is the 2005 vintage, but the 2001 and 2002 vintages are still showing extremely well.



During the tasting we were able to try the 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2003, 2002 and 2001 vintages along with the 2008 Nebbiolo Ice. The 2008-2006 vintages were barrel samples while the rest are currently released vintages.

The event was catered by Grandale Farms and, as usual, Jennifer Breaux, did an excellent job of matching up vintages. She paired the 2008 and 2007 vintages with Stewed New Zealand Lamb, 2006 and 2005 were paired with Grilled Beef Tenderloin and the 2002 and 2001 vintages were paired with Pan Seared Duck Breast.

My tasting notes on some of the vintages:

2008: Blackberry and licorice on the the nose, very subtle for a young wine, but lots of tannins and a good body.

2007: A powerful wine, aromas of cherry and vanilla with big fruit. Lots of body, good structure with big tannins.

2006: Dark fruit and licorice on the nose. Good body and structure, tannins are already starting to soften.

2005: Aromas of raspberry and chocolate, this vintage continues to improve with age. The tannins are soft, but it has good body and structure.

I've reviewed the 2002 and 2001 wines before, they continue to improve with age.

Saint-Julien, Pauillac, Saint-Estephe, and Haut-Medoc Tasting

For the 4th day of En Primeur tastings we headed up the D2 to taste the Grand Crus from the Saint-Julien, Pauillac, Saint-Estephe and Haut-Medoc regions. This tasting was held at Chateau Gruaud Larose (their website is currently down).

There was less consistency in these wines compared to those from the Margaux region. They were still, overall, very good, but some of them had a higher alcohol content than what you would normally expect from the region.

The higher alcohol content was due to the fact that the Merlot ripened faster than the Cabernet Sauvignon. So, winemakers had a situation where the Merlot was sitting on the vine and no longer ripening, but still adding sugar. This led to a much higher concentration of alcohol for the chateaux who either did not harvest quickly, or use a higher percentage of Merlot in their wine.

I picked 7 wines that really stood out for me. Once again, they are listed in the order they were tasted, not in order of preference:




Chateau Beaumont: Deep red color with pepper and red fruit on the nose. Well-structured tannins, very fruit forward with a lingering palate.

Chateau Beychevelle: Dark fruit, especially black currant, on the nose. Strong tannins, fruit forward with a good body.

Chateau LaGrange: Aromas of pepper and a slight hint of vanilla. Not much fruit, but good medium body with very firm tannins.

Chateau Gruaud Larose: Green pepper and spicy aromas. A very elegant wine, tannins were subtle, with good body lingers on the palate.

Chateau Leoville Barton: Lots of red fruit on the nose and in the mouth, a surprisingly complex wine. Still a little closed, but with great potential.

Chateau Lynch-Bages: Dark fruit on the nose, especially blackberry, with a hint of pepper. A big wine with lots of body and strong tannins, very powerful.

Chateau Lafon Rochet: Amazing, deep purple color. Really coated the glass. Got aromas of blackberry and vanilla. Very fruit forward with a medium body and nice tannins.

Margaux and Medoc Tasting

I've mentioned before that I think the 09s from the left bank were consistently excellent. Where I thought this particularly shined through was the Margaux/Medoc blind tasting at Chateau Chasse-Spleen. Part of this was due to familiarity, I like wines from the Margaux appellation, so I drink more of them and know more about them than I do other regions. But, it wasn't just me, most of the journalists I talked to noted the same thing about wines from left bank, in general, and Margaux in particular.

What makes the 2009 vintage so outstanding and why is almost everyone fawning over it? It started with the perfect weather. With the exception of some hailstorms early in the season, the weather in 2009 was perfect for producing quality Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, this allowed the winemakers, especially on the left bank, to produce the kind of wine they wanted. As I went through my tasting notes to write this post, I realized that I had written the phrase "classic Bordeaux" 12 times.

Classic Bordeaux, to me, refers to that combination elegance, structure, and aromas that can only come from a well-done Bordeaux. Almost all the wines in the Margaux/Medoc tasting seemed to have it. But there were a few that stood out, and those are below (these are only wines from the Margaux/Medoc blind tasting, there are others from that region that I will write about later).

Remember, the wines below are listed in order of tasting, not perceived score:



Chateau Malescot Saint Exupery: Very dark color, lots of green pepper and spices on the nose, well-structured tannins and very full body.

Chateau Dauzac: Black fruit and pepper aromas. Good fruit in the mouth, very subtle, slowly worked its way back nice tannins

Chateau Kirwan: Aromas of plum and black cherry. Very powerful wine, an interesting contrast to Chateau Dauzac. This one is has a full body with strong tannins and a lingering palate.

Chateau Lascombes: Lots of pepper on this wine, some hints of black fruit as well. Well-structured tannins with a medium body.

Chateau Marquis de Terme: Green pepper on the nose, surprisingly strong aromas. Good deep purple color with firm tannins and a full body.

Chateau Brane-Cantenac: This was an all-around elegant wine. It started with very refined green pepper and plum aromas. Then soft, lingering tannins, that slowly worked their way to the back of the mouth and lingered. Incredible body, a wine that feels like it will age extremely well.

Chateau Chasse-Spleen: Red fruit and some leather aromas. Very fruit forward wine with a medium body.

Chateau Fonreaud: Lots of red fruit with a little green pepper on the nose. Good structure, with a medium body.

Chateau La Tour de By: Deep purple color, the Petit Verdot really shines through. Good pepper on the nose. A complex wine with well-structured tannins and a medium body.

Sauternes and Barsac Tasting

The blind tastings during En Primeurs are one of the week's highlights and an important part of the review process. I've done blind tastings before, but never as many as I did that week, and never with as many professionals. The journalists take this process very seriously, and it is a real treat to be able to watch/participate.

The 220 credentialed journalists were split into 5 groups, each group did their Grand Crus tastings at different Chateaux. I was in group 1, so I'll be writing about those locations.



The Sauternes and Barsac tasting was held at Chateau Coutet. There were a total of 25 wines tasted. From each group I am only going to post my notes of the top 5-7 wines. I've already posted links to the full notes of others, most of what I have in my notes would be redundant. The notes are in tasting order, not in order of preference:



Chateau Broustet: This wine had a light yellow color and I got daisies on the nose. Flavors of peach and a real effervescence to the wine.

Chateau Doisy-Daene: The wine had a lovely golden color to it and I got pear and peach on the nose and tastes of berries and raisins on the mouth.

Chateau Filhot: This wine was surprisingly clear with a beautiful color to it. Detected honey on the nose with a taste of peach and apricot. Nice long finish.

Chateau Coutet: The wine had a very nice yellow color to it. It was a complex wine with apricot on the nose. I got a taste of orange and pineapple and a tremendous, lingering finish.

Chateau Guiraud: This wine was golden in color and had great citrus aromas. A very elegant wine with a taste of orange and raisins and a nice long finish.

Note: I want to add that overall, I thought the 2009 vintage of Sauternes and Barsac is excellent. There are a lot of really good wines there and they seemed to have qualities that experts feel make for a vintage that will age very well.

Review: 2005 Breaux Nebbiolo

Wine: 2005 Breaux Nebbiolo



Review: In honor of the Breaux Sneaux Sale I thought I would offer my review of the 2005 Nebbiolo. I've reviewed the the 2001 Nebbiolo and found it to be excellent. The 2005 is heading along that path as well. Nebbiolo is a wine that needs to age to bring out its full potential.

In that regard the 2005 is still a little young, but progressing nicely. It has more fruit on the nose than the 2001 does, specifically raspberries and even some chocolate. This vintage is blended with a little bit of Barbera, which I think makes it different than the 2001 and 2002 vintages.

This is a wine that is very drinkable now, but if its older cousins are any example will be even better if you lay it down for 2-3 more years.

Note: If you take advantage of the Sneaux Sale at Breaux you can pick up the 2001 Nebbiolo for $60, the 2002 for $44 and the 2005 for only $30 (all three are excellent values and only being offered today).

Price: $48

Grade: 95

Review: 2005 Chateau Bel-Air La Chapelle

Wine: 2005 Chateau Bel-Air La Chapelle



Review: Chateau Bel-Air is part of the Cotes de Castillon appellation. Cotes de Castillon is a relatively new appellation, located between the St. Emilion and Pomerol regions. It is known primarily for its value priced wines. ]

Chateau Bel-Air La Chapelle is part of the Jean-Pierre Moueix family of wines, the same people who produce one of my favorite right-bank Bordeaux wines, Chateau Magdelaine. This wine is a blend of 87% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is steel fermented then aged in new oak for 12 months.

Generally, wines from Cotes de Castillon are meant to be drunk sooner than wines from other regions of Bordeaux. Most recommendations I've seen for wines from this area were to cellar it for 2-5 years. The wine has aged very nicely. It still has strong red fruit aromas, prticularly strawberry. It had a dark red color and a long finish. The alcohol content is a little high at 14%, but overall it is a good wine.

Price: $25

Grade: 90

Review: 2004 Veramar Cabernet Franc

Wine: 2004 Veramar Cabernet Franc



Review: 2004 was a good year for for Virginia Cabernet Francs, and this one is no exception. The wine has aromas of blackberry, with hints of vanilla and oak. It also has the strong peppery taste associated with Virginia Cabernet Francs. The tannins have smoothed out nicely over the last five years and leave the wine smooth but with a long finish.

Price: $21

Grade: 95

Review: 2005 St. Francis Red

Wine: 2005 St. Francis Red



Review: The 2005 vintage of the St Francis Red is a blend of 58% Merlot, 25% Syrah, 9% Cabernet Franc, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Zinfandel. A big change from the 2002 vintage, but that is part of the fun of this wine.

The wine is very approachable, with flavors of red fruit, specifically cherries and just a hint of pepper, most likely from the Cabernet Franc. It is an excellent food wine with very light tannins and a medium palate.

Price: $12

Grade: 85

New Release: 2007 Doukenie Petit Verdot

This past weekend was a big weekend for new releases in Loudoun County.

On Saturday, Doukenie Wintery released its Petit Verdot. The winemaker and vineyard manager, Sébastien Marquet, describes the wine as, "This wine is a 100%, 2007 Petit Verdot Estate coming from Doukénie's vineyard, and aged 23 months in French oak barrels (40%new)."

The wine had a deep garnet color with good aromas of black fruit and a hint of molasses. On the palate I tasted leather and vanilla and just a hint of cedar was starting to show through, give it some more time in the bottle and I think the cedar will become more prominent.

It is a well-structured wine with good aging potential. I want to thank Sebastien for inviting me out Friday night for the preview party, it was a lot of fun!

New Release: 2008 Corcoran Malbec

On Friday, Lori Corcoran released the 2008 Corcoran Malbec. I got invited to a private tasting between release parties to talk to Lori and try the wine.

The wine is 95% Malbec, 2% Tannat and 3% Cabernet Franc. The Tannat is an unusual choice in blending with Malbec but it adds a spiciness to this wine that sets it apart from most Malbecs. The wine has strong chocolate and vanilla aromas and a long palate. I think the flavors will intensify with aging, but it is a very drinkable wine now.

Review: 2006 Vampire Cabernet Sauvignon

Wine: 2006 Vampire Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon



Review: Vampire Vineyards wines used to come from Romania, unfortunately, that is no longer the case. The wines are now sourced from two regions: Paso Robles and Vin de Pays.

Obviously, this is primarily a gimmicky wine, but it is surprisingly good. It is a fruit forward wine, lots of berry, but not a lot of depth. It has very light tannins and does not linger on the palate. Treat this wine as a fun wine and you should enjoy it.

Price: $10

Grade: 80

Review: 2007 Corcoran Chambourcin

Wine: 2007 Corcoran Chambourcin



Review: Chambourcin is one my favorite light reds. It is a great wine to serve with pork, poultry and even some fish. Because it tends to be less tannic than a lot of reds, the flavors of the wine do not overwhelm these dishes the way a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Merlot might.

The Corcoran Chambourcin is a fresh wine. It has aromas of cranberry and cinnamon and a light purple color. The wine is 100% Chambourcin with very soft tannins and a medium palate. It is a simple wine that is easy to drink and a good food wine.

Price: $18

Grade: 95

Review: 2007 Quattro Goomba's Vino D'Ana

Wine: 2007 Quattro Goomba's Vino D'Ana



Review: I've mentioned Quattro Goomba's previously. They are different than most Virginia wineries in that their wine is made from grapes imported from California, Chile and Italy. This makes for an interesting contrast both with Virginia wines and amongst their own wines.

The Vino D'Ana is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and is available as either a blend of grapes from California or Chile. This is a review of the California blend. The wine has an excellent garnet color and aromas of vanilla, black currant and just a hint of cedar. It is definitely a full bodied wine, very tannic and a long palate. A great steak wine.

Price: $25

Grade: 90

Review: 2003 Chateau Bouscaut

Wine: 2003 Chateau Bouscaut



Review: The Bouscaut vineyards have been around since the 16th century, but it has only had the name Chateau Bouscaut since 1929. The Chateau is managed by Sophie Lurton (brother of Henri who, of course, oversees Chateau Brane-Cantenac). Chateau Bouscaut has carried the status of Grand Cru Classe de Graves since 1953, which is a recognition of the consistent quality of their winemaking.

Chateau Bouscaut is an excellent everyday Bordeaux. It is a blend of 53% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Cabernet Franc. It is a complex wine with strong aromas of plum and cigar. The tannins were soft, it has mellowed well with age, but it had a nice long palate which made it a very enjoyable wine.

Price: $26

Grade: 95

Review: 2007 Breaux Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc

Wine: 2007 Breaux Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc



Review: I don't claim to be a Sauvignon Blanc expert, that honor falls to Sonadora, but I feel that Breaux's Sauvignon Blanc is a great example of the variety. The wine is steel fermented, so it is lighter, more of a summery wine. The 2007 vintage had hints of grapefruit and pineapple and enough body to pair well with Thai food, while not being overwhelming.

Price: $20

Grade: 90

Review: Horton Vineyards Nebbiolo

Wine: 2001 Horton Vineyards Nebbiolo



Review: The Horton Nebbiolo is actually a blend of 76% Nebbiolo, 10% Pinotage, 5% Tannat, 5% Petit Verdot, and 4% Touriga Nacional. The Petit Verdot adds some color to what is normally a very light wine, but the basic Nabbiolo characteristics remain. This is a light wine with aromas of cherry and raspberry. The aging has smoothed out nearly all of the tannins and left a nice wine, though one that is somewhat lacking in body.

Price: $20

Grade: 80

Review: Breaux Vineyards Jennifer's Jambalaya

Wine: 2008 Breaux Vineyards Jennifer's Jambalaya



Review: I am a big fan of Jennifer Breaux. I think she and her staff do a great job of maintaining the tasting room, keeping guests happy, and dealing with the crush of people who flood Breaux on the weekends. I am obviously not the only one who feels this way. Whenever I am out there she is always surrounded by customers who want to bend her ear to tell her about their day, their experience at Breaux, or just chat and she always makes time for them.

The work that Jen does is a large reason why Breaux is one of the largest wineries in Virginia and a favorite destination for many. So, it is very fitting that they finally named a wine after her. Jennifer's Jambalaya is a blend of seven different whites. I've tried to get a list of the seven varietals, but everyone has been mum on that. The blending makes for a sweet wine, but not too sweet; very floral with hints of honeysuckle. Its definitely a good summer wine, and it pairs really well with cajun and thai food (and yes, it is a good match with Jambalaya).

Price: $18

Grade: 95

Review: Zephaniah Vineyards Cabernet Franc

Wine: 2007 Zephaniah Farm Vineyard Cabernet Franc



Review: Zephaniah Farm Winery has a very interesting story behind it, it is Loudoun County's smallest winery and is open by appointment only. I went out there over the summer and will write up that visit shortly.

The Zephaniah Cab Franc is not a typical Virginia Cab Franc. In fact, it reminds me a lot of the Cabernet Francs I've had in the Northwest. A typical Virginia Cab Franc is peppery with lots of earth aromas. The Zephaniah Cab Franc is much smoother with emphasis on the fruit (don't confuse this with being fruit forward). It is an enjoyable wine that breaks the traditional Virginia mold.

Price: $20

Grade: 90

Review: 2005 Chateau Mongravey

Wine: 2005 Chateau Mongravey Bordeaux



Review: Because 2005 was such a banner year for Bordeaux estates I am seeing a lot of new (to me at least) Chateau show up in this area. This is very exciting because it gives me a chance to try new wines that I otherwise would not get to try.

Chateau Mongravey is one of those wines. Chateau Mongravey is part of the Margaux appellation, in 2003 it was awarded the title of Cru Bourgeois. Cru Bourgeois is an indication of a quality wine, even though the Chateau is not part of the 1855 classification system (this was originally done in 1932 and revised in 2003 -- unfortunately it was overturned in 2007).

The wine is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot and is surprisingly dark, garnet in color. Lots of black fruit aromas, blackberry and plum were more prevalent. Despite its youth it has rounded out nicely, the firm tannins give way to a more silky finish and a medium palate. A very good wine.

Price: $45

Grade: 90

Review: 2006 Three Fox Alouette

Wine: 2006 Three Fox Vineyards Alouette



Review: Alouette is the Three Fox Vineyards Cabernet Franc. The wine has the characteristics of of a typical Virginia Cabernet Franc. It had a medium pepper taste and dark fruit flavors, the long palate left a taste of toast in the back of the mouth. It has mellowed well over the years and is an excellent wine.

Price: $20

Grade: 90

Review:2004 Mediterranean Cellars Romance

Wine: 2004 Mediterranean Cellars Romance



Review: A good summer red. It is a light blend (the winemaker wouldn't divulge the blend other than to say there is some Norton in there) with very floral aromas. This is a very fruit forward wine without a lot of depth, but a great wine to drink alone or pair with a cheese tray.

Price: $20

Grade: 85

Review: Twin Brook Consiglieri

Wine: NV Twin Brook Consiglieri



Review: This is a Chianti-style blend light red wine and it is the biggest seller at Twin Brook winery. The wine is very fruit forward with strong cherry and blackberry flavors. It is light on the palate with very few tannins, a very good food wine.

Price: $15

Grade: 80

Decanted

Meghan and Tim have started a wine blog called Decanted. I really like the way they lay out their reviews and they have an eclectic taste in wine, check them out.

Slate Wine Tasting

I like this idea. Slate is holding an online wine tasting. Well, actually, it is a traditional wine tasting hosted by Slate's wine critic, Mike Steinberger, but it does have an online component.

This Wednesday, August 26th, Mike will be tasting the following wines:

• Domaine des Aubisieres Vouvray Silex 2007
• Les Heritiers du Comte Lafon Macon 2007
• Domaines Ott Cote de Provence Rose les Domaniers 2008
• Jean-Paul Brun/Domaine des Terres Dorees Beaujolais l'Ancien 2008
• Betts & Scholl Grenache O.G. 2006
• Ruinart NV Blanc de Blancs

If you are in New York you can e-mail Mike to see if he has any tickets left, otherwise you can follow the tasting on Twitter at @SlateWine. He is also encouraging those playing at home to post their thoughts on the wine as well.

That's the part I really like. While Mike is certainly an expert at what he does and, in my opinion, one of the better wine critics out there, it is always nice to hear a variety of opinions on a wine. So, if you have the time to locate some of these wines, feel free to participate, otherwise you can sit back and see what other people think.

Review: 2007 Fabbioli Cellars Chambourcin

Wine: 2007 Fabbioli Cellars Chambourcin



Review:This is a light red wine, the kind of wine that is great to drink by itself. The wine had a very fruit forward aroma with strong berry scents. Very slight tannins and a nice finish. A very simple, delicious summer wine.

Price: $16

Grade: 90

Review: 2001 Breaux Nebbiolo

Wine: 2001 Breaux Nebbiolo



Review:I had a chance to try this wine at the Breaux Nebbiolo Vertical back in April (post on that coming soon). Nebbiolo is an Italian varietal grown primarily in the Piedmont region. Generally, these wines are highly tannic and need time to age. As they age they develop a more floral or herbaceous bouquet.

So, how does the Breaux Nebbiolo stack up against the Nebbiolos of the Piedmont region? Very well. The 2001, which is their oldest vintage, has aged nicely. The tannins have smoothed out well, but are still there. It has developed an aroma of fruit and mild tobacco hints. The wine itself is complex and it remains on the palette for a long time. A very enjoyable experience, and a great wine.

Price: $80

Grade: 100

Review: 2005 Chateau La Tour De Mons

Wine: 2005 Chateau La Tour De Mons Bordeaux



Review:This is another good quality value-priced Bordeaux. Of course, it helps that this was a 2005 vintage, which really has lived up to all the hype surrounding it. I have yet to try a 2005 that I haven't liked.

I decanted this wine for about 1/2 an hour, which smoothed it out quite a bit. The wine had a medium oak feel with aromas of black fruit and dark chocolate. The tannins have already started to smooth, but the wine definitely lingers on the palette.

Price: $25

Grade: 90

Fearless Critic

No, not me. It is easy to be fearless when no one cares what you think :). I am talking about Fearless Critic. They were nice enough to send me a copy of their Washington Area Restaurant Guide, so I thought I would share my thoughts with you (plus, I kind of promised them I would ;)).

First some of the unequivocally good things about the book: The writing is tight and interesting -- definitely not traditional stuffy reviews. Robin Goldstein, the Editor in Chief, does a great job of taking the different writing styles and smoothing them out so the book reads evenly. I also really like the fact that they rate the food and the atmosphere separately.

The lists of the beginning of the book are also nice, in fact it would be great if they included them as a separate "pocket guide." Some of the more useful lists include which restaurants are open late during the week and on the weekends, which ones are date friendly and kid friendly, and, of course, their top 100.

But how are the reviews? The easiest way to test this is to check the reviews on some of the restaurants I like and see how they stack up. As most of you know, my favorite place in DC is Bistrot Lepic, so I looked that up first. No review.

Next I checked out the review for Chef Geoff. CK rated Chef Geoff's downtown location a 6.1 (on a scale of 10) writing, "It's not entirely unfair to call Chef Geoff's an upscale bar -- with decent bar food -- masquerading as a restaurant." Obviously, I disagree :).

On the other hand, WS says this about Dino, "..is that vital ace up the sleeve when you’re in need of a good, no-frills meal that consistently hits the mark." A spot on review!

FC says about Oya, "Oya is cool—perhaps too cool. White marble, white leather chairs, frosted white glasses, a waterfall blurring the view into the kitchen, and a red leather bar..." which is right on, but FC goes on to say, "The most disappointing part about Oya is the laughably slow, inattentive service..." I've never had that problem at Oya.

One more: Vinoteca, a wine bar on U Street is rated a 7.3/8.8 by JC who writes, "Even so, Vinoteca is always a party." This is true as is, "...Vinoteca is better suited for small bites and many libations then it is for a big meal." I couldn't agree more.

Overall, I think the book is absolutely worth the $16 (or $11 if you order it from Amazon through their website).

But, for the next edition, I hope they add in Bistrot Lepic!

Review: 2005 Clarendelle

Wine: 2005 Clarendelle Bordeaux



Review: I always like to find good quality, value-priced, Bordeaux wines. This is a wine with a handsome pedigree, it is produced by the same team that run the fabled Chateau Haut Brion.

This is a Merlot-based Bordeaux comprised of 82% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 13% Cabernet Sauvignon. The winemakers decided to limit the harvest to give this wine a much more forward feel. The nose hinted of dark fruit, almonds and it had a strong oak taste. The wine has a smooth taste that belies its young age, but you start to pick up on the subtle complexities as it sits on your palette. It is a very drinkable wine now, and it should get better over time.

Price: $21

Grade: 90

Review: 2005 Twin Brook Cabernet Franc

Wine: 2005 Twin Brook Cabernet Franc



Review: In October of 2007 we went up to Brandywine for a weekend tour of wineries. One of the wines I especially enjoyed that weekend was the Twin Brook Cabernet Franc.

Even in 2007 this wine was smooth, but over the last year and a few months it has really mellowed transforming it from a medium bodied wine to almost a lighter one. The wine had strong aromas of cherry and vanilla and was very light on the palate and did not linger very much. A noticeably different interpretation of the Cabernet Franc grape, at least compared to Virginia wines.

Price: $18

Grade: 85

Review: 2005 Fat Stan's Rockfish Red

Wine: 2005 Fat Stan's Rockfish Red



Review: The label says Ketchikan, Alaska but the wine is actually from Northwest Cellars in Washington. It is a blend of 50% Merlot, 28% Syrah, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Under the Northwest Cellars label it is called Intrigue, which is not nearly as interesting as Fat Stan's Rockfish Red.

This is one of those wines that I wish I had purchased in greater quantity. Its not that the wine is great, it is good, but not spectacular. Instead, the wine holds special meaning because of the memories of Alaska that will forever be tied to the aromas in the bottle. The wine itself is a smooth wine, well-aged, with hints of plum, raspberry and just a tinge of pepperiness. Soft tannins and smooth on the palate, it is a good everyday drinking drinking wine.

Price: $20

Grade: 85

Review: 2003 Marojallia Margaux

Wine: 2003 Marojallia Margaux



Review: To date, I have reviewed the 1999 and 2001 vintages of this wine. Both were excellent, as reflected not only in my review but in the 91-point reviews they both received from Robert Parker.

The 2003 vintage is 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and 24% Merlot. The wine has a deep purple color and an aroma that contained hints of smoke, blueberries and vanilla. It has a medium body with some tannins, but not overly so. The wine was little young, but with a couple more years it will reach full maturity and should be even better.

Price: $50

Grade: 95

New with this vintage, a little bit about the winery on the back of the bottle:

Wine Bars

I didn't bring my camera with me, but back in October I finally got to go to Central Michel richard and had a great time. The restaurant itself has a nice atmosphere, it is bright, cheery and not too loud.

From the appetizer menu, the Oysters and Smoked salmon were excellent, but the Ceviche was a little bland. The mussels and the Tagliatelle Bolognese were both very well done and enjoyable.

The wine list is where the restaurant really shines. Given the restaurants namesake, I expected a strong French presence and I was not disappointed. Beyond the French wines there were excellent selections from Argentina, California, Australia and Italy. The bottled wines were reasonably priced, especially given the quality of the selection.

For desert, the four of us were able to split the rich Michel's Chocolate Bar.

There is a reason why Central was chosen as the best new restaurant for 2008, everything was great from start to finish.

Review: 2002 Chateau Magdelaine

Wine: Chateau Magdelaine 2002 Bordeaux



Review: My Bordeaux tastes tend to run toward the Margaux region, but there are standouts from other regions and Chateau Magdelaine is one of them. Chateau Magdelaine is part of the Saint Emilion region, the oldest in Bordeaux. It is considered a Premier Grands Crus Classés B (which is pretty good ;)).

Surprisingly, the 2002 was still a little young. I took a sip before putting the wine in a decanter and I was taken aback by the tannins. After decanting for an hour, the wine really opened up. There were flavors of vanilla and black cherry and it had a rich full-bodied taste. The tannins remained strong, which gave it a lingering palette.

Price: $65

Grade: 95

And, because I am a big dork, here is the wine on its matching wine tray:

Review: 2004 Brane-Cantenac

Wine: Brane-Cantenac 2004 Bordeaux



Review: The Brane-Cantenac Bordeaux is one of my favorite wines, so I am surprised I have only done one other review of it. This is a wine that has steadily improved over the years, and unfortunately, the price has increased in accordance with its quality.

This vintage has a typical Bordeaux feel to it. It was a ruby color with aromas of plum and vanilla. The oak really comes through in this wine, giving it a complex feel and a lingering palette. It is definately a wine to be savored and lingered over.

Price: $59

Grade: 95

Wine: Fabbioli Cellars 2005 Tre Sorelle



Review: In 2006, when I reviewed the 2004 vintage of this wine, Doug was just getting started with his own winery. Two and half years later Fabbioli Cellars is a must-visit on the Loudoun wine trail.

A friend of mine was having a bad day at work on Friday. I keep a small wine rack on my desk usually stocked with 3 or 4 bottles, so I called her down to split a bottle of the Tre Sorrelle and vent.

The 2005 Tre Sorrele is a blend of 65% Merlot, 20% Tannat and 15% Petit Verdot. This is a spicy wine with a strong oaky taste and black currant flavors. It has aged well and has a soft finish with light tannins.

A good wine to enjoy on a bad Friday or any other time.

Price: $24

Grade: 95

Wine: 2007 8 Chains North Lo.Co. Vino



Review: A chain is a agricultural unit of measurement equal to 66 feet. 8 Chains North gets its name from the fact that it is 8 chains north of Colonel White's river fields (according to the bottle -- I can't tell you why that is significant) ;)).

This is a good summer wine and an excellent wine to enjoy with light cheeses. It is a blend of 50% Traminette and 50% Vidal Blanc. It is a light wine, very crispy with a very light aftertaste. It has hints of pears and honeysuckle. If you don't have any cheese around, it is a good sipping wine all by itself. You can pick up a bottle at Fabbioli.

Price: $18

Grade: 95