Author: MH

On one of those rare cold nights in South Florida @wineclubmiami had no problems keeping warm with four magnums showcasing the best of Spain.  Top showing went to the only non Tempranillo based wine, the youthful 2014 Finca Dofi that is over 90% Grenache with a touch of Carignan. Over the last ten years, vanguard winemaker Alfonso Palacio has transformed his Dofi from a ‘big’ Cab/Syrah/ Grenache blend to a ‘light’ Grenache that showcases that famed brown licorella slate soil with the vibrant pomegranate fruit interwoven with Mediterranean garrigue.  I am happy to report Mr Palacio need not look in the rear view mirror as the New Dofi is doing very well with wine drinkers and critics alike. FYI – As with most young Priorats, this bottle benefited enormously from a long decant- twelve hours to be exact. It came around and opened beautiful at eight hours in,Jesus ,Wine Club Miami member.

2006 Muga Prado Enea Gran Reserva”This is amazing traditional Rioja with a complexity and beauty of ripe fruit and long aging. Unique. Full body, ultra-fine tannins, tobacco, vanilla, plums and prunes. It lasts for minutes on the palate. Three years aged in oak and three years in bottle. 80% tempranillo with the rest of the classic varieties. All from high altitude vineyards.”98 James Suckling Jamessuckling.com

Alluring plum, blackberry, cola and spice cake flavors are rich and balanced in this expressive red. There’s plenty of structure, but it doesn’t get in the way of the flavors, and the spicy, floral finish is long and fresh. *Top 100 Wines of 2008*
94 points Wine Spectater

09 San Vicente Rioja, A blocked nose is toasty and charred, with requisite black-fruit aromas; but it’s slightly herbal and stalky as well. A tight stern palate is rubbing and tannic, while this tastes of blackberry, mocha and savory spices. Tobacco and mocha are the main flavors on a controlled finish. For a marginal vintage like 2014, this is a winner; drink through 2028. MICHAEL SCHACHNER

2013 DM Vintage– This season was the coldest in the history of Don Melchor, and this, along with harvesting 10 days later than usual, allowed the grapes to ripen slowly and reach the end of the season with exceptionally well-ripened tannins along with very good fruit expression, freshness, and personality.Winemaker Enrique Tirado tasting notes. VARIETY:91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc.VINEYARD:Don Melchor Vineyard, Puente Alto D.O., Alto Maipo Valley

2015 DM Vintage-This very elegant wine presents tremendous aromatic expression with a predominance of small red fruit notes. It starts smooth and is friendly on the palate and continues with perfectly balanced flavours and a long finish, where the balance and delicacy of the tannins reappear with great expression of this vintage’s lively fruit. Winemaker Enrique Tirado tasting notes VARIETY:93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot y 1% Merlot. VINEYARD:Don Melchor Vineyard, D.O. Puente Alto, Alto Maipo Valley.

1989 Mouton Rothschild– Freshly picked blackberries turn into minty dark chocolate and oozing caramel with domineering eucalyptus on the nose. It becomes yet more complex on the palate thanks to layers upon layers of spices and sage plus fat and rounded tannins. There’s a long finish with a bitter aftertaste, suggesting this could do with another 10 years or more of bottle aging. This is a Mouton I found massive at the time, then elegant and slightly austere years later, but today true to its former glory. Like the amazing 1947, it should not be forgotten. Tasting notes James Suckling.

2002 Chateau Mouton Rothschild– Tasted blind as a vintage comparison at the Valandraud vertical, the 2002 Mouton-Rothschild is a wine that burned brightly in its youth, though recent encounters suggest that maybe it is beginning to flag as it enters what you might call middle age. Here, it has a conservative bouquet with blackberry, cedar, warm bricks and melted tar aromas – an unfussy, uncomplicated, quite serious Pauillac bouquet. The palate is well balanced with crisp acidity. It feels lively on the entry with fine tannin, a Mouton that is nimble on its feet with a gentle grip towards the finish, which offers a satisfying aftertaste of spice and clove. It does not mirror some of the outstanding bottles I consumed within the first decade of its life, and peering into this First Growth, it is difficult to see whether it will repay those who cellar it longer. Tasted December 2016. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.

When you find a special wine you become excited that you have discovered a new wine that you were never aware of. When you find several wines from the same winemaker, well you become a fan.  A selection of small production wines with classic European wine making and Argentina terroir made for exciting and lasting wine tasting. Headlined as “wines the were made from a miracle” and along with from “no man’s land” these unique small production wines were worthy to savor not just to taste. Marcelo Victoria, winemaker presented four wines for our group tasting along with a his chef abilities.

Marejada Chardonnay 2015-60 cases-Mendoza is under an extreme semi-dessert kind of weather which could be compared to Arizona but laying at high altitude. Rainfall level measured in a yearly basis rarely exceeds 6 in. but in 2 years in a row, 2015 and 2016, we had an unusual rainfall level that produced Botrytis Cinerea giving us the chance to get such and extraordinary and rare wine. Fermentation process took months in a 600 liters French barrique,  using native yeast. The wine didn’t go through malolactic fermentation.-Notes from the Winemakers: Marcelo Victoria andnd Giuseppe Franceschini.  “Most memorable Chardonnay in many years for us. Hints of Sauturnes in style as to dried and exposed apricots with mellowness, while slowly reinforcing   the Chardonnay taste” Miami Wine Club tasting notes.

MDV Malbec 2016 / MDV Syrah 2016 –166/50 cases-Pedernal Valley is among Argentina’s New Discovery. Sorrounded by mountains lays on the slopes of the Pre-Andes range. Complexity that comes from pure limestone soils diversity. The quality of the light and TLC farming produces not only original nuances but balance and elegance- notes from the Winemakers: Marcelo Victoria    Region: Pedernal Valley, San Juan. Altitude:4,950 feet above sea level DV Malbec: 100% Malbec / MDV Syrah:100% Syrah

Marejada Cabernet Blend 2015-112 cases-We found a extremely old vineyard, planted back in 1918, that for some reason the owner decided to sell it to a developer. We immediately fall in love with this chance so we bought the grapes and made 2 vintages with them during 2015 and 2016. The result this extraordinary complex Cab, that comes from these old vines that only produced a ton per acre so we needed 2 plant to make one bottle of wine. We used French new oak without filtering or fining. Vines are dead but these are the late witnesses of its Glory-Notes from the Winemakers: Marcelo Victoria andnd Giuseppe Franceschini. “The Cab blend came from vines planted in, get this 1918. They are located in the rain shadow of the Andes. The winemakers of old world heritage sought out to make a wine best described as New Old World. I believe they nailed it”. @jesus_drinks_wine

Cinco Sentidos Late Harvest Malbec-83 cases-Hand picked at 34.2 Brix with a residual sugar of 128 gr / lt, deep colors aromas of ripe figs prunes and raisins. 18 Months in new and second used French and American barriques. Region Luján de Cuyo Valley, Mendoza. Altitude:2,640feet above sea levelVariety:100% Malbec

Beaujolais is a French Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée wine generally made of the Gamay grape which has a thin skin and is low in tannins. Like most AOC wines they are not labeled varietally. Wikipedia. A wine tasting that had all the members guessing as we enjoyed a wonderful organic and vegan menus sourced by wine club member David Yarus. “I remembered some unbelievable Beaujolais Cru’s I had had a few years back and being so shocked as to how they drank.  I thought this would be perfect as they are packed with flavor and complexity yet have an easy thin and light quality about them.  In addition, I felt like this region and the Gamay grape are often overlooked and certainly in the United States can be associated with the cheaper Beaujolais Nouveau. There are three quality levels within Beaujolais:  Beaujolais, Beaujolais-Villages, and Beaujolais Cru.  Within the Cru, there are ten villages:  Brouilly, Chenas, Chiroubles, Cote De Brouilly, Fleurie, Julienas, Morgon, Moulin-A-Vent, Regnie, and Saint-Amour.

Over a year ago I started gardening at the South Beach Victory Garden located at 226 Collins Avenue in Miami Beach.  The garden is a little oasis that is also overlooked hosting 60 plots where we grow all our own organic veggies!  I thought what could be a better summer evening spot than surrounded by all this lovely fresh produce (almost vineyard like), butterfly farm, and fresh air.  Check out the garden here:  https://southbeachvictorygarden.org

*Homemade loaded baby curl leaf spinach salad with fresh veggies all from garden!Nobl Veggie Burgers (Delicous Raw ):

*Vegan Burger topped with Scratch-made Pickles, Smoked Aioli, Truffle Infused Garlic Dijon, Baby Spinach, Roasted Tomato, Roasted Portobello and Bermuda Onion. Served on a House-made Vegan Brioche Bun and accompanied by a Root Salad dressed in Roasted Garlic and Lemon.Vegan Pad Thai (Delicous Raw):

*Black Bean Noodles, Signature Vegan Pad Thai Sauce, Bean Sprouts, Crispy Nappa Cabbage, Crunchy Peanuts, Fresh Chopped Cilantro, Red Chilis (https://delraw.com)

 Wine Club Miami met at the world renown Fogo de Chao in South Beach for its May 2019 event. The event was hosted in its private wine room and the wines of Clos du Val were presented and sourced by member Andrew S. Cohen.  The predominantly cabernet-based wines were a great compliment to the food. Unlike most California big reds, these wines were not overly fruit-forward and jammy, and were more in an old-world style that the group appreciated.

2002 Dom Perignon
I am starting my series of Champagne reviews with Dom, because simply put Dom DOMinates.  This 2002 vintage is very heralded and is comprised of even split between Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  
Pale to medium lemon in color with a nose that starts with nuts and toast, hints of light petrol which then distinctly goes to gun flint.  I should be careful with these tasting notes because something may blow up. Elegant stone fruit and citrus on the palate with an underlying mineral streak. Delicate lingering mousse with a medium plus acidity.  These bubbles remind me of Charlize Theron.  A beautiful lady that still can still show here racy side.  Like Charlize, these bubbles will age gracefully.

David L’Eclapart L’Amateur
An amateur, is a word derived from the French word amateur “lover of”, is generally considered a person who pursues a particular activity independently from renumeration. This champagne entitled L’ Amateur is solely from Chardonnay hailing from the rolling hills of the Premier Cru village Trépail. This is a real Blanc de Blanc with no added dosage.  The French have an analogy for this level of purity, they say these champagnes are like a woman without any form of make up, it all about the natural beauty.  I suggest these bubbles just could be like Jessica Biel. This Lover of  is unrecompensed and unencumbered.  It is a bare and transparent champagne that solely reflects the varietal and the chalky soils. I can only imagine if this is the introductory offering by David L’ Eclapart, what the rest of his selections has for us.QuickNotes:Pale lemon hue with a core of acidity combined with bracing crisp citrus and green apple fruit with subtle pleasing hints of oxidation.

J Lassalle’s Preference is a very balanced and full-bodied NV champagne. It is one of their Premier Cru offering that is Pinot Meunier dominate. There is a pleasing roundness to this wine that only can come from a PN/PM based champagnes. Pale lemon in color, lovely chalky vibe, good tension and yellow apples interplay going on here. Touch of tannins from the PN/PM make there presence felt on the tongue. If this champagne was a lady, this would be Scarlett Johansson.

Philippe Gonet Grand Reserve Champagne NV
My value play of my recent Champagne Tasting that goes toe to toe with the heavyweight names everybody knows at a fraction of the price. Retails stateside for 50-60 USD.
This Champagne is composed of 30% Chardonnay, 60% Pinot Noir and 10% Meunier. The grapes are all from the Gonet family’s estate, spread from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger in the valley of the Marne. Pale lemon hue, marzipan nose with lemon cake and toast.  Red delicious apple for fruit with spot on acidity that counters the sweetness of the apples.  The mousse starts forceful then gently lingers without wanting to leaving you palate.  Lovely minerality to boot.  This is wonderful caliber Champagne that just became my new best friend.

Selosse is a Grower Champagne that needs no introduction for wine lover, who have placed it in a cult status.  Their Champagne are quite distinct in that they have an oxidative style. 
The V.O. Version Originale is a Grand Cur Blanc de Blancs from three vintages as well as three villages; Avize, Oger and Cramant.
(Notes from April 2019)Light golden color. Burgundian, new oak, sherry-like oxidation, butter, yeast, croissant, round, tiniest bubbles, candied citrus, with a tangy acidity that big but never over the top. A tour de force Champagne!

WineClubMiami kicked off the new year strong with Hundred Acre Vertical tasting from some of the oldest vineyard sites in the whole of Australia. The result is some of the country’s boldest Shiraz that unapologetically coats your mouth! In aspect all wines (05, 06, 07 and 09 each had rim variation, but at the core was some of the darkest garnet hues I have ever come across. Nose was equally powerful with notes of bruised black cherry, black licorice, blackberry, with a balsamic baseline. Occasionally there were whiffs camphor, acetone, and eucalyptus. A persistent core of acidity reins in the black fruit on the palate that borders on overripeness. Structure of these wines follow thru with the BIG theme. Appreciated very much that this wine was dry and had a balanced tannic backbone with notes of taught leather on the finish. WOTN was the 2007 (4/2/5.0), followed closely by the 2006(4.1/5.0) Cheers to wine club member David Yarus arranging this memorable tasting and raising the bar for our 0’19 tasting calendar. Notes by wine club member Jesus Cabarcos.

Bernard Magrez- 4 Grands Crus Classes of Bordeaux-A leader and visionary in Bordeaux for the last 40 years, Bernard Magrez has never strayed from his quest for perfection in every bottle of wine. The sole owner of four grand cru classes properties in Bordeaux: Chateau Pape Clement, Fombrauge, La Tour Carnet, Clos Haut-Peyraguey. Bernard Magrez’s vision of excellence guarantees connoisseurs of grand cru Bordeaux  a selection of wines of utmost quality. (except taken from www.millesima-usa.com/bernard-magrez.html)

Chateau Fombrauge- Saint Emilion- 2016– A terrific well rounded wine with a nice essence of dark red fruits. Expressive nose and nice complexity with hints of black cherry.  Very low and almost unoticed tannis that allow for the body of the wine to linger thru the tasting.  89% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec, 1 % Cabernet Sauvignon. Aging for 18 months in 45% new oak barrels. (http://www.bernard-magrez.com/en/wines)

Chateau La Tour Carnet- Haut Medoc- 2016-Hints of dark fruit and plum are evident with a subtle spice hints of cinnamon.  Nicely well balanced with essence of tannins are included in the finish.  56% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot, 1 % Cabernet Franc. Fermentation in wooden vats and small capacity concrete tanks. Aging in oak barrels for 16 months 30 % new. (http://www.bernard-magrez.com/en/wines)

Chateau Les Grands Chines- Medoc- 2016– red in color with heavier fruit forward taste represents a younger taste. Medium bodied with a younger finish to a noticeable tannin as a aftertaste. 70 % Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1 % Cabernet Franc. Transfer into thermo- regulated and small stainless steel tanks. Maceration for 28-30 days. Aging for 16 months. (http://www.bernard-magrez.com/en/wines)

Chateau Pape Clement- Graves- 2009:  Rich and ruby red with nice hints of tobacco and coffee. Spice with essence of herbal and fruits are soft in the taste.  A supple and well rounded body with a lingering finish that seems complex.  50 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 2 % Petit Verdot, 1 % Cabernet Franc.  The wine is run off into French oak barrels by gravity flow. Aging for 18 months in oak barrels. (http://www.bernard-magrez.com/en/wines)

Clos Haut Peyraguey- Bommes- 2010–  Intense, complexe noes. Taste of honey and candied orange with lingering tastes of almonds, apricot and vanilla. 95 % de Semillon, 5 % de Sauvignon. Fermentation in oak barrels new or 1 year old. (http://www.bernard-magrez.com/en/wines)