WineLife365

Posts Tagged ‘3-Star’

Man, I sure have missed Fancy Dinner Friday.  I’ve especially missed the pre-dinner excitement that our Fancy Dinner Friday Mascots always bring.  Friday night dinner in our home has become something quite special that our whole family looks forward to each week.  Unfortunately though, we’ve been so busy over the past weeks that we’ve had to take a few rain checks on our customary Friday, not so “fancy”, plate of spaghetti and meatballs.

This past Friday though, the four of us were finally able to settle down into our familiar festivities.  And on this warm summer evening, we also welcomed two new faces to the mix.  The first was an energetic and electrifying pre-dinner visit made by our newest Fancy Dinner Friday Mascot – “Spaceman Storm Trooper”.

Spaceman Storm Trooper got things off with a bang – that’s for sure!  But for some reason, our 6 year-old son was nowhere to be found…hmmm?!

Our other special appearance was made by a bottle of 2007 Boeri “Martinette” Barbera d’Asti DOC Superiore that I received as a sample.

“Martinette” is the name for one of Boeri’s oldest Barbera vineyards.  Both the location and microclimate are very conducive for the production of Barbera grapes.  The Boeri estate uses several steps in making their Barbera d’ Asti.  In July, they first start with the “thinning” of the grapes. Harvest then begins at the end of September where clusters of grape bunches are selected and collected into small wooden crates.  Next, the grapes are then gently pressed. Afterwards fermentation (with the grape skins still on) occurs for about 7-8 days in barriques, where the wine is ultimately allowed to rest for the next 12 months before bottling occurs.

The result is a tantalizing, Super-poli grip of a wine. 

Right out of the gate, this wine absolutely fills your mouth, adhering to your teeth and gums, giving your taste buds a vigorous workout.  This is definitely not the kind of wine that you want to drink prior to your six-month dental exam if you hope to get out in less than 15 minutes.

The 2007 Boeri “Martinette” Barbera d’Asti DOC Superiore delivers an impressive jab of bright red fruit, accompanied by sweet spices through its finish.  I was also picking up a violets vibe and a very interesting slate & stone mineral-like finish.  All in all, it worked absolutely fantastico with a plate of thin spaghetti topped with a mixture of meatballs, grilled Italian hot sausage, and marinara sauce.

3 Stars out 4.  The 2007 Boeri “Martinette” Barbera d’Asti DOC Superiore is a distinctive and  gripping red that can moonwalk alone, but will really have your taste buds pulsating when paired with a variety of Italian foods!

(MSRP $10)

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What’s with the 2007 Domaine La Guintrandy Cotes Du Rhone Saint-Leger?

I can see it has a really bad medieval thing going on with the label – reminiscent of a middle-schooler’s Dungeons & Dragons artwork.  And it’s definitely got an earthy smell – dare I say the smell of the slow release fertilizer, otherwise known as manure.   But does it taste bad too?

Amazingly, it doesn’t.  It actually tastes pretty darn good! 

It’s 50% Grenache and 50% Syrah and for 10 smackers this Rhone red is not half bad!  The vibrant red berry flavors that mingle with fresh ground black pepper make this wine a solid value, even if you need a clothes pin over your nose in order to enjoy it!

3 Stars out of 4.  Air out before consumption.

($10)

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Words like “exceptional”, “superb”, “finesse”, and “powerful” have been thrown around by many wine critics and French producers to describe the 2007 Rhone Valley vintage.  After trying a few 2007 Cotes Du Rhone red blends this past week, I’d say they were all pretty harmonious, fit for a king, and scrumpdillyicious.

However, there was one in particular that stood out from the others.  It was the 2007 Chateau Beauchene Grand Reserve.  The tasting notes on the label of the 2007 Chateau Beauchene Grand Reserve describe this wine as “rounded and unctuous”.

Unctuous…huh? 

Unctuous – 1. (adj.) buttery, fulsome, oily, oleaginous, smarmy, soapy, unctuous
Unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating in manner or speech.
“buttery praise”; “gave him a fulsome introduction”; “an oily sycophantic press agent”; “oleaginous hypocrisy”; “smarmy self-importance”; “the unctuous Uriah Heep”; “soapy compliments” ~definitions.net 

I’m not sure I would want to drink something based on that definition, but in “wine-speak” it sounds much better:

“Rich, lush, intense wines with layers of concentrated, soft, velvety fruit are said to be unctuous.” ~erobertparker.com

Composed of 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah grapes, the 2007 Chateau Beauchene Grand Reserve was thumping with vibrant and youthful red fruit, florally violet notes, and a punch of black pepper on the finish.  It was a naughty-good nightcap with some pita bread and a tub of roasted red pepper hummus.  I bet it would also be right at home with a variety of different meats and cheeses as well.

3 Stars out of 4.  The 2007 Chateau Beauchene Grand Reserve Cotes Du Rhone Red earned the right to call itself ‘unctuous’ or anything else in the dictionary that means, “really good”…and that’s not just buttery praise!

($11.99)

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One would think that three sips of any wine would be enough time to render a personal assessment of either “Hey, I like this!” -Or- “Nope, this wine’s not my cup of tea!”   However, as with most things in life, it’s not always good to rush to judgment. 

I was given the opportunity to sample the newly released 2007 Concannon “Conservancy” Petite Sirah, and by the third sip of this Petite Sirah I thought that my mind was made up.  I was leaning more in the direction of “Nope…”  My reasoning was pretty simple – it didn’t Wow my taste buds.  It seemed a bit soft, unconvincing, and way too short on the finish.  I personally thought that this “stand alone” juice was better suited in a blended wine and not bold enough to stand on its own two feet.  So I stuck the cork back in it and moved onto another wine that evening.

Two nights went by and as I was getting ready to make dinner, I spotted the bottle of Concannon Petite Sirah on my kitchen counter.  As I glanced at the label, I noticed that it read: 

“Pairs as well with barbequed chicken as your favorite lamb recipe.” 

MMM…lamb!  Ok, so I didn’t have any lamb in the house, but I did have chicken and decided to fire up the grill.  While grilling up dinner, I thought…maybe this wine just needs some food to go with it.

Guess what?  Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

On this night, the 2007 Concannon “Conservancy” Petite Sirah was expressing big black cherry flavors and nice spice that I didn’t pick up on night #1.  Yup…the folks at Concannon know their Petite Sirah.   I only wished that I’d taken notice of this nice little tip on the first night.  The third night, along with a little extra breathing time, and some barbecue chicken proved to me that it was much better than “just ok.”  I just needed to follow the directions provided on the back label!

3 Stars out of 4.
(SRP $15 US)

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