Steak and a Cab- Delicious!

So over the Labor Day weekend my husband and I, along with Mike and Beth, decided to check out a steak house that is well known (in these here parts) but kind of out in the middle of nowhere.  Living only about 20 miles east of St. Louis on the OTHER side of the Mississippi we usually venture into the big city.  However, this time we headed farther east to Clinton county to a tiny town called Saint Rose.  In this cute little town sits Popeye's Chophouse.
I had called ahead to let them know we were coming and
asked if they would allow us to bring our own bottles of wine.  They said sure!

So we arrived when we said we would and they had a packed house!  Told you they were popular.  Well the wait was definitely worth it. We opened our first bottle which was a 2006 Lancaster Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.  This is a wine we brought home from our first trip together to California in 2011. This  Cab was a deep purple in color and had the rich Cab nose with a little cassis, white pepper, dark berry and hint of spice.  We thoroughly enjoyed it with the crab cakes for appetizers. It had rich tannins and the fullest body of the two wines we enjoyed that night. It opened up very well and wondered what it would have been like had it been decanted first.  It was great!







We decided to open our second bottle a little early to let it breath while we finished the crab cakes and salads (and the first bottle). This one was from this past trip to California and I kind of already blogged about it but....(you know I already love it) it was a 2009 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon.  Since this restaurant was a chophouse we all had to have steaks (hence the Cabs). So when our entrees were delivered, the wine delivered as well!  The Jordan was also a deep purple and the nose was a little fruitier than the first. The taste was a lighter body and softer tannins but with an excellent finish. Beth's filet was a perfect match.  Bart's Tenderloin Bordelaisse  was delicious with the taste of the blue cheese.  Mike and I both had the Filet Mornay which was stuffed with crab and topped with a smoked gouda sauce which just melted in my mouth and the wine paired superbly!

 

What a night of fine wine and delicious food!  Can't wait for the next time :).

 

Cheers!

Lisa

Gift Giving for the Discerning Wino-The Decanter

So when it comes to giving a gift for the wino who probably has everything, what do you do?  It would never fail by giving a wonderful bottle of their favorite wine or maybe one of YOUR favorite wines.  But once that bottle has been enjoyed (as I'm sure it will be), you just have an empty bottle.  Now you could use the cork for some future decorating project ( Beth made a cool lazy susan) or put a candle wick in it for ambient lighting (Mary Jo made several of these from special bottles) or for the not so crafty person that I am, you have to come up with something else.

As for some favorite "toys" for the wino, one that is very useful and can be used over and over, is the decanter.  I do have to admit I have a couple of decanters that get plenty of use. So why a decanter?  What is the purpose of a decanter?





Well, for starters there are a couple of reasons one chooses to decant a wine.  One is for aeration.  This is mainly for full-bodied red wines whose aroma, flavor, and complexity can improve with aeration.  We have noticed that during some of our wine classes the wines change after the first tasting, then pairing with some foods and later tasting again once the bottle has been open for a while.  This decanter just helps speed up the process.  We've also noticed it can enhance the flavor of an inexpensive wine.  These don't have to be fancy but best to use either glass or crystal because they won't alter the wine's taste.  Also, make sure they are large enough to hold an entire bottle of wine and still have plenty of room. There should be plenty of surface area exposed to air.

Another reason for decanting is for removal of sediment.  Again, for full-bodied reds since, as they age, they can develop a deposit that settles to the bottom of the bottle.  The decanter helps to separate the clear wine from the sediment, because no one enjoys that unpleasant taste.

Now let's explore which wines should be decanted.  According to Andrea Immer Robinson, the Rule of Thumb: Older red wines (typically ten years and older, but visually inspect bottles with three or more years of age to be sure) may have sediment, and are thus candidates for decanting.  All vintage Port has sediment, and should be decanted--the older the wine, the thicker the sediment.  Young, very full-bodied red wines can benefit from decanting for aeration. 

Speaking of aeration, if you don't wish to enjoy the entire bottle at the time, using an aerator for pouring a glass at a time is the perfect solution.  My pick of choice is the Vinturi.  Just hold it over your glass, pour and instant aeration!  It's fun to try a little wine without the aerator and then after and taste the difference.  It's amazing how the wine really opens up.

 





Now if you are like me and really love pretty toys, I picked up a beautiful wine funnel from JordanWinery in California on our last trip.  It's not only functional but pretty to use.

 

So if you are looking for a fun gift or just want to enhance a wonderful bottle of wine, try a decanter!

Cheers!

Lisa



Winetasting At Jordan Vineyard & Winery

One of my favorite Cabernet Sauvignon's has long been the Jordan.  My husband and I have enjoyed it at Morton's in Las Vegas and a couple other restaurants, not to mention some at home.  Last winter, when our group decided to take our California trip, Jordan was on the top of my list to visit.  Honestly, I don't think anyone objected!

So last Tuesday we drove through the Alexander Valley arriving at a beautiful French Chateau inspired winery for our wine tasting appointment. Although it was only built in 1976, it looked as though it had been there much longer with the beautiful ivy vines along the expansive brick walls.





We were greeted by three of the cutest black dogs- a large, medium and small!  They were so excited to see us they even jumped in the car!  Claire Smith welcomed us and guided us through our wine tasting.  She led us into the Library where we enjoyed our first wine which was the 2011 Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley.  The Chardonnay was new to me and boy had I been missing out on a delicious one! Aromas of freshly cut Fuji and Granny Smith apples, stone fruits and white flowers lead to vibrant minerality and bright fruit flavors. These grapes were picked in the coolness of the night and spent three months of sur-lie aging and five weeks of batonnage.  Malolactic fermentation was limited to only 30% in order to retain the wine's bright acidity and natural expression of fruit intensity.  The wine matured in French oak barrels for more than six months before nine months of bottle age. It was just released on May 1st so we are some of the first to enjoy this latest vintage.  Executive Chef Todd Knoll had created the perfect pairing of Hawaiian Blue Prawns with Tomato Fondue.

 



 

 

As we enjoyed the Chardonnay, Claire explained that the owner, when designing the winery, thought that every Chateau needed a hidden door and we were to guess where the entrance was to the "secret room".  It was .... I'm not telling!  But it led to our next wines, the Cabernet Sauvignons.  (If you didn't already know, Jordan produces a singular Chardonnay and a singular Cabernet Sauvignon, which they have perfected for more than 40 years.)

 

 





Once we located our hidden entrance, we filed through and saw a beautifully set table for our tasting and were presented with three Cabernets-2003,2005 and 2009, all of which are from the Alexander Valley.

We began with the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon.  This vintage has deep color and a full mouthfeel.  The vibrant blueberry qualities of Petite Verdot marry well with the soft, alluring flavors of Merlot and contribute to the complexity of the masculine, tannic nature of the Cabernet Sauvignon.  This wine has very rich texture, opulent flavors of black cherry, a restrained oak framework, and a lingering finish of subtle earth, cigar tobacco and cedar.  After malolactic fermentation in large, upright oak casks, the wine was then aged in 68% French and 32% American oak barrels for 12 months, and in large, upright oak casks for an additional three months. The wine was bottled and held for another 17 months prior to release. Whew!  I guess this is what they mean by "no wine before it's time"! This blend consists of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 2% Petite Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc.  Delicious :).

Now the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon was totally different than the previous 2003 but very delightful!  With concentrated aromas of cassis, cherry, cedar, red rose petal and tobacco, this wine's complexity continues through the flavors, which include red currant, cherry, blackberry with a hint of vanilla from the oak aging.  This wine shows beautifully in it's youth and will continue to age gracefully for a decade or more.  This vintage spent 22 days in stainless steel tanks for primary fermentation, followed by two weeks in large upright oak tanks for malolactic fermentation.  The wine was then aged in 64% French and 36% American oak barrels for 12 months.  The blend is 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and 5% Petite Verdot.  Again, amazing!!

Last but not least the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon was a dream vintage for the winemaker. Aromas of blackberry, black cherry and cassis are supported by subtle hints of baking spice and vanilla from oak aging.  The mouthfeel is soft and silky with a seemingly never ending finish.  Enjoy now or through 2025. ( I don't think my bottles will last that long.)  This vintage is a "barrel blend" from lots not only from the Jordan Estate but also from only the top blocks of selected family growers. After separate primary fermentation, the wine was transferred to French and American oak barrels and aged for 12 months.  The blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 5% Petite Verdot and 1% Malbec matured in bottle for and additional two years before release.

 

 



Along with these scrumptious wines,  pairings of  2011 Jordan Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Black Truffle Triple Creme Brie, Ossau-Iraty (sheep's milk cheese) and Beemster Classic (extra-aged gouda).  All of these cheeses were perfect with all three wines, but who can go wrong with extra-aged gouda!!

After thoroughly enjoying the wine tasting, we as a group decided to take a  couple of the 2003 Cabs and a Chardonnay back to the house we rented to enjoy with our evening meal of Beef Bourguignon prepared by "Chef" Bart.  What a delightful day!



Cheers!
Lisa

Wine Word of the Week

 

Sur Lie -  The process of leaving the wine in contact the lees (remnants of yeast after fermentation). This process can add complexity and nuance to the wine.