Numanthia Termes 2008

If ever a winery name held symbolic imagery for the style of wine they produce its Numanthia.  The winery is named after the town and castle in Spain's Toro region which 2,000 years ago held out for over a century against the siege of the Roman Legions that swept across Europe .  The same tenacity is a definite requisite to grow grapes on 100 year old vines in this rocky windswept area, but the results have turned Toro into one of the hottest viticulture regions in Spain and globally; with Numanthia leading the way.  All of Numanthia's wines are 100% Tinto de Toro varietal, they produce three distinctive styles; Termes, Numanthia and Termanthia.  Termes is intended to be bright, lively, fruit forward and I have always thought of this wine as a showpiece of what Tinto de Toro should be.  2008 after a cold winter warmed up and delivered another strong vintage for Termes.  Violets on the nose, blackberries and hints of tobacco and anise on the palate and the typical Termes silky mouthfeel.  If you have ever seen a typical grape vine either for viticulture or table grapes imagine farming vines like the one pictured below!

Bellavista Franciacorta Cuvee Brut

I really enjoy bubbles, depending on my mood and current state of finances, everything from Prosecco or Cava to the great Champagne houses.  I've also always looked to sparkling wine with a meal as much as a necessary component to a celebration.  Creamy, rich entrees or briny seafoods (think oysters or caviar) are perfectly complemented by Champagne or other bubbles.  One of my favorite food sparklers with food is Bellavista Franciacorta Cuvee Brut.  Franciacorta in Lombardy, Italy is both an appellation and vinification style.  Metoda Franciacorta is very similar to Methode Champagnoise with fermentation in the bottle and aging in cellar on riddling racks for up to six years before release.  Bellavista is probably the most famous winery in the region; founded in 1976 they released their first Franciacorta in 1984 and today own 8% of the Franciacorta Vineyards.  A Blend of Pinot Bianco, Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir) and Chardonnay, the Cuvee Brut is pleasantly yeasty with great acid/fruit balance and green apple, pear aromatics.  So back to the food pairing my first choice is usually Seared Sea Scallops, See the recipe below and toss with some Linguine and brown butter, simple, quick and delicious!

Seared Scallops

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 to 1 1/4 pounds dry sea scallops, approximately 16
• 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons peanut oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Remove the small side muscle from the scallops, rinse with cold water and thoroughly pat dry.

Add the butter and oil to a 12 to 14-inch saute pan on high heat. Salt and pepper the scallops. Once the fat begins to smoke, gently add the scallops, making sure they are not touching each other.  Sear the scallops for 1 1/2 minutes on each side. The scallops should have a 1/4-inch golden crust on each side while still being translucent in the center.

Serve immediately

Our Forefather's Vision

"By making this wine vine known to the public, I have rendered my country as great a service as if I had enabled it to pay back our national debt." 
Thomas Jefferson

Who says the vision of past generations is not applicable to modern issues?

Bearboat Chardonnay Russian River 2010

Don't let the tongue in cheek nature of the label fool you, Bearboat is much more than just another critter label.  Owned by Remy Cointreau and made by the talented Raphael Brisbois in California's Russian River Valley, Bearboat has a well deserved reputation for top quality Pinot Noir but its their Chardonnay that I keep going back to.  Chardonnay is a tough category for all wine consumers with so many choices presented by a veritable sea of availability.  Bearboat consistently delivers what I look for, balance, fresh fruit and acidity without being too heavy, buttery or over oaked.  Hand picked fruit is crushed, 35% then is fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks with no malo to preserve the fresh fruit fruit and acid.  The remaining 65% is fermented and aged in new French Oak and goes through malolactic fermentation to bring in the vanilla and buttery notes and a creamy mouthfeel.  The final blend is bottled and consistently is fresh, concentrated and perfectly balanced Chardonnay!

Groth Cabernet Sauvignon "Oakville" 2008

We tasted the 2008 vintage of Groth Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon in the office recently and I walked away both impressed and thinking about how we all approach vintage. Vintage becomes a double edged blade when it comes to selling and buying wine, especially when it pertains to regions such Bordeaux, Brunello di Montalcino or Napa Valley. So called Vintages of the Century can be followed by equally good or better wines the following year that struggle to find buyers. We seem to be hung over after dizzily chasing the hyped vintage. I believe 2007 and 2008 in Napa is exactly this scenario. There is no doubt 2007 was a great vintage for Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and deserves all the media and consumer acclaim the vintage has received. 2008, although subtly diiferent in style, was equally good but does not seem to have much buzz so far; in large part this is because there simply was not much of it! Severe frost put natural limitations on crop levels, add a late and hot indian summer to get the grapes ripe and a small but outstanding harvest was the theme throughout through most of Napa. Groth was no exception, their 2008 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon is soft and luscious with blackberry on the palate and sweet vanilla on the nose from 22 months of barrel aging. As much as I continue to appreciate the power of the 2007 vintage, I think many of the 2008's including Groth may offer more pleasure!

Marques De Caceres Rioja Rose 2010

Yesterday I had one of those really great wine experiences; a wine I have not given a great deal of thought to or tasted in a long time gives a great deal of pleasure.  Several colleagues and I were having lunch at a local brick oven pizzeria and decided on a bottle of Caceres Rose 2010 to go with our Prosciutto and basil pizza, what a combo!  If you are not following the weather on the East Coast its really, really hot outside!  The chilled Rose was perfect, great fruit, strawberry and bright cherry notes, and enough acidity to make it a good food wine.  The wine is a blend, 85% Tempranillo and 15 % Garnacha, and aged entirely in stainless steel, no oak to impede all the fresh fruit flavors.  All in all a terrific choice for a summer wine!

Silverado Sauvignon Blanc "Miller Ranch" 2009

The last few years it has been pretty impressive to watch Silverado Vineyards as they continue to almost remake themselves.  Silverado has long been considered an iconic brand in the Napa Valley but recently they have really shaved production and gone to almost entirely estate wines looking to take the quality of their wines to a whole new level.  The 81 acre Miller Ranch in Yountville was Ron and Diane Miller's first acquisition in Napa in 1976.  Inititially selling fruit to other wineries, Ron and Diane crushed their first vintage in 1981 and released the first Silverado Vineyards wines in January of 1983.  Although today Silverado is probably best known for Cabernet Sauvignon, they continue to produce consistently one of California's best and most interesting Sauvignon Blancs.  The 2009 is no exception with citrusy fruit, especially grapefruit and tangerine, balanced with pleasant acidity to give a crisp mouthfeel. 

The Miller Ranch continues to be Silverado's home for Sauvignon Blanc.  Until a few years ago there was also a good deal of Chardonnay planted in this vineyard but the Miller's like this Sauvignon to such an extant they have been tearing out the Chardonnay and replanting to Sauvignon Blanc, quite an expensive proposition but worth it if more Sauvignon Blanc like this is to come our way!

Silverado Vineyards