Tasting Notes: Dr. Goldilocks and the Six Tempranillos

Once upon a time, there was a stressed-out allied health professional with curly hair the color of old pennies, but shiny. We'll skip the debate as to whether it's blond or red, and we'll completely ignore the gray that's popping in – they're just really light blond, darnit! She had a long four-day week with lots of patients, emails from a marketing minion who wants everything NOW, and a very patient adminion who wouldn't let Dr. Goldilocks put off important tasks for too long. Oh, and contract work that makes for a nice change of pace, but which needed to be done before she left the next day to see Dr.-in-training Goldilocks 2.0 (aka Babysis) in Philadelphia.

So yes, she was stressed out, and when she finally left the office at 8:30, she was tired, hungry, and ready to have some wine. She wandered through the food aroma gauntlet of downtown Decatur (of which Atlanta is a suburb in case you're reading this, and you're Carl), but having given up red meat for Lent, Ted's wasn't an option, Ruby Tuesday was too chain restaurant, and Leon's was just too crowded. It was too early for the Decatur Diner, so she ended up at JavaMonkey, where she knew her friends would be gathered for the biweekly wine tasting, in this case Tempranillo.

Tempranillo, if you're wondering, is a Spanish varietal red, and the only people who can say the name right are from places like Peru. Seriously, it sounds like they're making love to it in their mouth. It's swoon-worthy. You may know it better as the primary grape in Rioja, which goes with fun words like Crianza.

For the sake of narrative, I'm going to mix up the tasting order. Just bear (no pun intended) with me.

Dr. Goldilocks tried the 2008 Protocolo Tempranillo (Vino de la Tierra de Castilla, Spain). Aged in American oak, she proclaimed, "This wine is too thin!" Indeed, it didn't have much to it outside the cedar-y finish.

Then she tried the 2009 Vega Sindoa Tempranillo (Navarra, Spain). This one she deemed as, "too earthy, and it's doing strange fruity things on the roof of my mouth!"

The 2008 Emilo Moro Finca Resalso (Ribera del Duero, Spain) had interesting caramel-cedar notes, and had a caramel/chocolate finish. "It's good, but still not what I'm looking for."

Enter the 2006 Raimat Viña 43 Tempranillo, which spends 18 months in Virginia oak. Because there's nothing like knowing *exactly* where your wood comes from. It has to be good if the founding fathers got drunk on it, right? This one was all cherry smoothness. "That's more like it!"

The 2006 Sierra Cantabria Crianza from Rioja, Spain (told you!) had a nice raspberry-cherry nose that Hubby said had a whiff of sunscreen. It went very well with the Bello Prosciutto sandwich. "This one's very good."

Finally the 2007 Venta Mazzaron Tempranillo (Tierra del Vino de Zamora, Spain) had a little hickory smoke to it, but was well-balanced with yummy fruit. It also has an interesting history in that it's mostly from un-grafted, pre-phylloxera vines.

"Ah," said Dr. Goldilocks, "this one is just right!"

Look for blog and Twitter updates this weekend from Pennsylvania wine country!

Tasting Notes: Rustic Reds at JavaMonkey

Yep, it's time to review wines from a tasting at JavaMonkey again! Hey, at least I'm consistent. For those who don't know, JavaMonkey in Decatur, Georgia does a wine tasting every other week with a different theme each time. The cost is $15 per person, and you get six good pours.

This past tasting's theme was "Rustic Reds," or, as the distributor put it, "wines with a bit of earthiness to them." Hmmm. I was suspicious since I'm not a big fan of the "barnyard funk" flavor profile. Really, how could that possibly describe something positive? Thankfully no wet sheep or chicken poo in these wines:

2007 Sierra Cantabria Tinta (Rioja, Spain): 100% Tempranillo
This old vine Tempranillo made my mouth water just from the savory, fruity nose. It did have a little earthiness, but balanced with tart plum.
Rating: Very Good
New Feature! Suggested Pairing: A fruity pork loin dish

2007 Busi Chianti Rufina (Chianti Rufina, Italy): 100% Sangiovese
Leathery nose. This one had an interesting flavor progression with mild but noticeable acidity, some blueberry, and a little funky mushroom finish. Definitely rustic and interesting.
Rating: Good
Suggested Pairing: Italian meat and cheese tray, especially with salami

2006 Chateau Norbert Bordeaux Rouge (Cotes de Bourg, Bordeaux, France): 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
There was a sweet note on the nose, like hay, perhaps. Nicely fruity with dark cherry, but kind of wimpy for a Bordeaux and had an odd finish.
Rating: Okay to Good
Suggested Pairing: Something with puff pastry and spinach

2007 Odfjell "Armador" Merlot (Maipo Valley, Chile):
The notes promised "pronounced tarriness" on the nose and delivered hints of asphalt. The palate was berries and cedar, but with some funkiness and a hint of clove.
Rating: Good
Suggested Pairing: Braised Pork

2008 Grand Veneur Cotes due Rhone Rouge (Cotes du Rhone, France): 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 10% Cinsault
Okay nose, but not much there. The fruit is a bit chewy with some spice.
Rating: Good to Very Good
Suggested Pairing: Braised Beef

2007 Argiolas "Costera" Cannonau (Sardinia, Italy):
Cannonau is an old Spanish varietal, a clone of Garnacha.
Dark, smooth fruit with a hint of pepper and allspice.
Rating: Very Good to Excellent
Food Pairing: We've achieved steak!

Yes, Hubby and I decided to start figuring out what foods would go well with the wine. He keeps insisting that we have "too much wine in the house." I argue that there's no such thing. The only thing we can agree on there is that we should drink it. So, look out over the following weeks as to how we solve this dilemma and what we pair the wines with.

Tasting Notes: Six Blind Tastes at JavaMonkey

Apologies for the delay between my last post and this one. I should've figured something was up when I was super irritable on Thursday and was nearly in tears over trying -- and failing until late in the day -- to buy a new laptop. Then I almost threw my Blackberry down the parking deck steps when my attempts to call Hubby ended in multiple, okay two, dropped call fails. Normally I'm a pretty even-tempered gal, but I was being stalked and didn't realize it. I should've given up that evening when a wave of profound fatigue hit me while I sat at dinner with Hubby, but I wasn't paying attention. But I knew Friday morning that my stalker, the one that had turned me into superb*tch on Thursday, was a stomach virus.

Of all the cruddy things to get... It's keeping my from joining my parents and BabySis at the North Georgia cabin. The worst part? I don't even feel like drinking coffee or wine, and chocolate? Ugh, no thanks! Yeah, that's how I know I'm sick.

So, enough about me and my whining. On to the fun kind of wine...

Hubby and I decided that, since I was going to be done with work early on Thursday, we could actually go to dinner before the tasting instead of grabbing something quick at JavaMonkey like we usually do. I'll post a full review of Pharm House later, like when I can think about food again, with my first impressions of Iberian Pig. I just want to make it clear that I was already getting sick when we were there, and my tummy bug has NOTHING to do with the restaurant or the food.

We didn't know what the tasting would be, and I actually had a premonition with a thought, "I hope it's not a brown bag tasting!" Imagine my dismay when it turned out to be just that. I'll admit to not putting my full oenophile effort into guessing the wines, but I do have full notes and ratings.

Wine #1 was very fruity with a floral melon (someone else said pear) nose, dry finish, and mineral backbone. Our guesses included Albarino, Viognier, and Oregon Pinot Gris. We were closest with the last one. This was an incredibly hefty and fruity Italian (Venezie) Pinot Grigio, the 2008 Zenato.
Rating: Good (maybe should be Very Good since it's an Italian Pinot Grigio that Hubby actually liked)

The most obvious characteristic of Wine #2 was its toasty oaky nose and flavor. It also had a strong floral gardenia overlay and a crushed flower petal finish. Yep, it was the 2008 Mark West Chardonnay (Central Coast, California -- duh!).
Rating: Meh, but I'm not an okay chard fan

The question about number three was not so much what, but from where. We ruled out France right away because it didn't have enough acidity. Classic Pinot Noir flavors of cherry with a little vanilla on the finish. Hubby and I found the 2008 Lucky Star Pinot Noir from California to be very smooth and drinkable.
Rating: Very Good

Okay, so this is where I kind of gave up. I have to give kudos to famous violinist Kirsten Browning* props for picking out the next one as a Tempranillo. Lots of dark fruit, but again with smooth tannins and nicely balanced acidity, the 2005 Sierra Cantabria Crianza (Rioja, Spain) was another favorite.
Rating: Very Good

No one at the table got #5, the 2008 Saint Cosme (Cotes-du Rhone, France), which is 100% Syrah. Barnyard funk (yes, really!) on the nose, chewy and fruity with good acidity. Yeah, that's what I get for not studying my French wines this year like I had intended.
Rating: Good

The last one was another obvious one, the Alvear's Amontillado (Montila, Spain), a 100% Pedro Ximenez sherry. Okay, I didn't get all the fancy stuff, but I did pick it out as a sherry. Oaky cedar nose and not too sweet, this was another one that Hubby liked, and he usually turns his nose up at sherry.

We're looking forward to this coming Thursday's Beaujolais Release party at JavaMonkey. Wine, food, more wine, and prizes! I came away with a corkscrew, beret, and scarf last year. The scarf got incorporated into my Random Oenophile costume for the Decatur Book Festival, and sometimes I wear the beret just for fun because I look good in hats. Hope to see you there!

*She's really good, and she teaches lessons!

Tasting Notes: Freedom, thy name is Tempranillo

I've got a confession to make. Next to Zinfandel, Tempranillo may just be my favorite grape. Consequently, I was really ready to enjoy this past Thursday's tasting at JavaMonkey, for that reason and because I hadn't been out of the house all day.

The wines are all 100% Tempranillo and come from Spain, so I'll just list names and regions:

2007 Campos Reales (La Mancha):
This one has been a favorite in the past, so I'm wondering if this vintage may not be quite as good as previous ones. The nose is buttery and a little musky, and it opens up to blackberry. It is light to medium-bodied with a lot of cranberry and a little pomegranate. Someone designated it as "Ocean Spray [juice]" wine.
Rating: Good
Note: According to my blog archives, I reviewed the 2008 Campos Reales in April. It was bigger, fruitier, and more complex than this 2007. So, if you're looking for a good, basic Tempranillo, go for the 2008.

2006 Sierra Cantabria (Rioja):
Although it's from Rioja, it's not a Crianza. Blue/blackberry nose, and the middle has a nice structure from the oak. The problem with this one is the major pepper kick at the end that someone described as "caustic."
Rating: Good

2007 Emilio Moro Finco Resalso (Ribera del Duoro):
Dark fruit with a little toasted almond on the nose. Sour cherry and currant with a silky texture that again went a little rough on the finish. A second tasting later revealed that it had smoothed out, so just let it open.
Rating: Good to Very Good

2005 Urban Ribera (Ribera del Duero):
Can tell on the nose that this will be a "hot" one with 14.5% alcohol. The dominant flavor is blueberry. Someone designated it as "blueberry pie," but I didn't get enough butter for that.
Rating: Good to Very Good

2006 Codice Tinto (Vino de la Tierra de Castilla):
This one has a hot nose, too, but it smoothed out with some good swirling. In addition to its dark fruit, it has some clove, spice, and a little butter. This medium-bodied wine could have come earlier in the tasting.
Rating: Very Good

2005 Venta Mazzaron (Tierra del Vino de Zamora):
With its smoky nose and bacon overtones on the palate, this was the table favorite. The combination of fruit and smoke made me want to pair it with a Belgian entree, maybe cherries and meatballs (yes, that's a real Belgian dish).
Rating: Very Good

Random Thoughts:
A trio of Emory students came to the previous wine tasting, Blends, armed with camera and notepads to do a feature for the student paper. The next to the last paragraph cracked me up:

Although the relaxed venue was enjoyable, wine aficionados may not want to head to JavaMonkey. A fellow taster sitting next to me was rather pretentiously swirling and sniffing his wines, a behavior that may be common at many wine tastings, but which seemed out of place at this one.

Don't worry, wine aficionados, you can come sit with us. We sip and swirl non-pretentiously.