Wine Club Miami

Mar. ’15 – Bordeaux’s Right and Left Banks

Post author By Wesley Castellanos
Post date April 13, 2015

We all love Bordeaux!! This little old town has become the Mecca for true wine lovers. All vineyards face Bordeaux. This month we had acquired from some bottles from collectors that were willing to let some experience them. David Yarus dusted them off and studied. He spends his days handling inventory of wines in a wine bank.

With the combination of some good pizza and Brian Connor at the microphone, we had a night of one of the best tastings the club could experience.

As for the right and left banks, can you tell which side of the Gironde River the wine comes from? The Right Bank is more focused on Merlot as the Left is Cabernet Sauvignon. They are almost always blended of a few varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbet) unless you have a Chateau Petrus. Brian kept us updated on the stats of the region.

The list was as follows:

Chateaux Léoville Barton 2000 $194 WS 97pts. Left Bank – Medoc: Brick color with strong rim variation. Ripe Fruit and Leather notes on the nose. Lead pencil and minerals. A long finish.
Clos De L’Oratoire 2000 $117. WS 92pts. Right Bank – St. Emilion Grand Cru: This can age another 5 years. Strong coffee, cocoa and soft tannins. This was a true Right Bank Bordeaux.
Chateau-Fageac 2000 $264. WS 89pts. Right Back – St. Emilion Grand Cru Classe. Brownish brick red. Soft with Cedar/Sandlewood nose. Soft tannins and a long silky finish.
Chateau Palmer 1998 $321 WS 90pts. Left Bank – Medoc Margaux. Leather nose. Tobacco and black cherry on the palate with a textured finish. Still strong and has years more to go.

Each had its own distinct character. Eventhough they had the blends to help you figure out which side it came from, the age added complexity.

This tasting was memorable as each wine grew into its own not following the standard charateristics. We loved the variety each Bordeaux made.

Drink plentiful people!

Tastings

Feb. ’15 – The Art of Aged Wine

Post author By Wesley Castellanos
Post date April 13, 2015

The older the wine the better right? Now there is a myth we all hear. There is a lot to be said when it is aged properly. Eventhough mostly all wine is made for immediate consumption. However in recent tasting the Club had with Inglenook wine maker Philippe Bascaules at the South Beach Food & Wine Festival with Wine Spectator, I asked him his thoughts if wine should be aged first then released to the public like a Barolo or just sell it immediately. He said, “The Consumer should have the luxury to taste the wine young and aged…” He began to explain that having this experience is how wine aging helps to learn more about the maker and wine.

I was glad to have the opportunity to select some wines with the group. Jeff Tenen, president of the Club, said to select anything I wanted, just don’t tell me and keep is within the budget.

My goal at this month’s tasting was to experience more about how wine transformation in its youth and aged.

I placed four bottles in front of the blood (or wine) thirsty Club. We all drank them blind. They were all the same variatel and manufacturer.

1st Pour: Red brick with medium halo variation. Acidic & Leather nose. A Light Oak on the palate with a long finish. This wine transformed as we studied. It was extremely tight and complex. The team narrowed it down. It was an Amarone della Valpolicella or Nebbiolo.

2nd Pour: Light Brick with strong halo variation. Less tannins with hints of vanilla bean. Again an old world.

Since we knew it was an aged wine tasting, they immediately said Barolo! We had the 2005 Vietti Barolo Brunate and the 2010 Vietti Barolo di Castiglione Falletto.

We loved the transformation. What was a tight and complex wine turned into a flowing stream of flavors that kept shifting and opening bigger and better.

3rd Pour: Opaque dark ruby. Sweet palate with soft tannins. A velvety finish. Immediately Stephen Gamson screams California Cabernet! Why I ask. He stated because, “It makes me Happy!” So that immediately made the club start thinking a vintage California. This is how the mind tricks you. Don’t trick your mind, but he was on the right track.

4th Pour: Again Opaque dark ruby. A nose that was releasing bitter sweet flavors. This was now tricking the Club because they were thinking California. Can this wine be so different?

2001 Winehall Lane Leonardini Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon compared to the 2011 Whitehall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon.

Here the young wine was tight. It was ready to drink but we felt it lacked the characteristics to age well. The Leonardidi aged with grace. Even at 14 years old it was obvious what it was.

Now make your choice. Do you like to age the wine to see what it will become or to see it will remain true to what was made to taste like when it was created? Happy drinking!!

Wes

Tastings

Jan ’15 – Do Not Trick Your Mind!

Post author By Wesley Castellanos
Post date January 28, 2015

We all can recall that moment when it comes. The wine is in the glass and you begin to study it. You have that taste and before you finish, you are already calling out varietals and regions. Well that’s because you and almost every wine drinker out there, think they know it all. I can say that most of the group does know it all, that’s why we can only drink amongst each other, but we need to take the minutes and appreciate it. Isn’t she beautiful; look as her color; appreciate her age; she smells like a bouquet of roses; and when see speaks… take the 60-120 seconds and listen before you judge her.

The group had the opportunity to have Mr. Brian P. Connors of Connors Davis Hospitality. Brian is a Professor at Johnson & Wales University, The School of Hospitality Management. He lectured us on the how we have different “Sensations we experience are Reality” or are they not. This often triggers our minds to believe the wine we prefer is immediately from something we experienced. Yes, we have links from your palette to your brain, but it’s time to stop and take the steps to understand the wine. What is good to you may be bad to someone else. Or is it just “different”.

Brian poured five wines. The final two were blind tastings after our lecture.

Wine #1: 2005 Tempranillo Spain, Valduero – 6 Años Reserva Premium.

Wine #2: 2008 Philip Togni Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

Wine #3: 2008 Gemstone Cabernet Sauvignon.

Brian’s lecture was comprised of many facets. To list a few: Sensation Versus Perception; Analysis Versus Evaluation; See / Sight (Color and Intensity); Smell Descriptors (Off-Odors or distinct aromas); The 6 ‘S’s (Swirl, Smell -Three times, Sweetness, Savor); the human tongue; French Oak (Vespa), American Oak (Harley Davidson), Hungarian Oak (Moped Bike); viscosity (2%, Whole Milk or Light Cream); Rim Variation (Age and quality with color consistency when you look at the wine from the side, below and directly from above.)

Tasting Technique

Here is where we have our initial conclusions (Climate, Variety, Quality Level, Age, New vs. Old World). After we think about the initial and a few minutes thinking, then we can come to our Final Conclusion. Varietal, Country, Region, Vintage, Quality/Price.

We were able to practice the wines with the information in front of us. Now was the test. BLIND.

Wine #4. White wine. Color: Light Gold meant wasn’t aged too long. Bouquet: Slight Minerals meant Old World. Old World meant the Region could be from Europe. Vintage: Rim Variation was light it meant young. Finally Quality: Sweet with citrus on the nose. Slightly textured, with a crisp finish. Andrew Cohen, nailed it. Sancerre – 2013 Domaine de la Perriere Sav Blanc.

Wine #5. Now here this one was great! It had all the challenges we love. Complex, interesting, old world, dark, high alcohol. Who guessed it? No one. This 2011 Ribera del Duero Pagos de Carraovejas was just hard to pinpoint.

As I said, we often know it all. Now, study the wine with these steps and you’ll be surprising people and yourself like a David Copperfield at the Playboy Mansion.

Tags Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo

Events

Wine Club Miami Holiday Party 2014

Post author By Brian Smith
Post date January 5, 2015
1 Comment on Wine Club Miami Holiday Party 2014

Wine Club Miami made its mark this holiday season celebrating eight years of wine and great friendship. Scarpetta at the Fontainebleau was a terrific setting as we paired an exceptional collection of notable wines with excellent Italian fare.

Five selected non-vintages, arranged by our incoming president Jeff Tenen featured 4 wines and excellent Brut Rose Champagne to start a memorable evening with a few memorable highlights. Nice mix dry and soft white wines with the complexities of aged Italian wines.

Many highlights, having both Montrachet’s was notable and it seems the group was split on which one was the dominant choice. The Italian reds did seem to be nicely placed with the Duck Foie Gras Ravioli as well as the Braised short ribs and the Spaghetti.

• Henri Abele, Brut Rose Champagne (non-vintage)

• Domaine Bader-Mimeur, Saint-Aubin Ler Cru “En Remilly”, Chassagne-Montrachet, 2011 & 2013

• Giacosa Barolo Falletto 2005 Le Rocche Falletto- (96pts- WS; 95pts-ST; 94+pts WA)

• Fontodi Flaccianello Della Pieve, 2006 (99pts-WS; 96pts RP)

A terrific holiday evening to mark our 8th year and to toast our new President as we head off into 2015.

Best, MH

Tastings

Champagne and Claws

Champagne, like it, love it, lets just drink it. It’s that time of year again as the holidays are fast approaching, all the more reason for Wine Club of Miami to have a Champagne tasting. Five selected non vintages, hosted by myself and Andrew Cohen at the gallery space of our President Stephen Gamson. Stone Crabs claw were a fitting menu followed by a Joe’s Key Lime pie brought a terrific tasting and the close of our 8th year of Wine Club Miami!

A non ranked tasting based on comments from member for the following selected: Laurent -Perrier Brut ($35) Louis De Sacy Brut ($32) Ruinart Blanc de Blancs ($80) Drappier (almost) Blanc de Noirs ($47) Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose ($80)

Enjoyed by all and commented for good balance and subtle complexities seems rule the overall tasting comments. Several were noted with additional comments. Overall it seemed the Laurent was most liked in general for balance and for the nice price. Also commented on uniqueness and taste were the Ruinart Blanc de Blancs and the more drier Blanc de Noir. Both of these Blancs seem to be most interesting for excellent taste.

Overwhelming response seems to be enjoyed for the Billecart-Salmon as to the quality of the champagne in an overreaching group consensus as very well liked.

Best, MH

Event hosts Matt Hege and Andrew Cohen

Tags Champagne, Stone Crab

Events

Wine Club Miami Annual Holiday Event

Post author By Wesley Castellanos
Post date December 15, 2013
2 Comments on Wine Club Miami Annual Holiday Event

It’s that time of year… The end. We had a memorable year in our tastings. The “Collector’s” tastings are still hovering in our minds. We don’t name drop so please review our tastings. January & March tastings brought us wines that made fulfill items to the “bucket list”.

As Wine Club Miami created an evening of fine dining and entertainment, we selected wines that would recap our year. Let’s face it, a year of snubbing the wine and saying, “it’s ok” to what people would hardly have a chance to drink (limited production) comes to pause as we mostly enjoy the time with family and friends.

Tuyo allowed us to start gathering in their Wine/Cooking Theater. We sipped on Piper-Heidsieck Magnums and sampled Hors d’oeuvres. Wesley Castellanos thanked the club for a stupendous 2013 year and began his swan dance. Following the gratitude, Wesley announced Stephen Gamson as the new president for Wine Club Miami 2014.

Stephen Gamson is an individual who does not shy away from letting the club know what his wine & food palette desires. He has been with the club for many years and will partake in an active role as President.

Chef Norman Van Aken of Tuyo and the club met prior to assure the dishes and wines complimented each other…

We paired our appetizers with a 2010 William Fevre Chablis les Lys. This wine was delicate with a taste of minerals that exemplified the chardonnay notes. By know you should know what a French Chardonnay should provide.

The main course was paired with the Rivietto Barolo ’09. Even though it was extremely young and tight, it softened the powerful flavors of the main.

We drank the Barolo into our desserts which the chocolate mousse or flan was a great match.

The President Gamson elect hosted an after hours event for the club.

Wine Club Miami wishes you all a happy holiday season and please drink wine like it is the last day on earth.

Tags Piper-Heidsieck, Rivietto Barolo, Tuyo, William Fevre Chablis les Lys

Tastings

November Tasting: The Presidential Speech: Bigger is better!

Post author By Wesley Castellanos
Post date November 20, 2013

That’s right I said it! Bigger is better. Escalades, penthouses, yachts and bottles. As I came into my last two months into my first term, I personally selected wines for the entire club without any suggestions from the members. I wanted to bring a wine that would be social and make everyone think about not only their future, but the wines’ future.

It is said that the larger the bottle format, the “truer” the wine. Drinking wine from a barrel is nothing like having it from the bottle (not even in a Riedel glass). Either it is the state of mind by drinking from the barrel or just being limited to just 750 ml., you’ll never have enough.

I selected three young Right Bank Bordeaux magnums. The notes from other drinkers are exactly what I look for in my wines. I bought two of each bottle. One was set for our November tasting and the other is set for our November 2023 tasting. How can I wait ten years you ask? Just hide it in the back, out-of-sight, out-of-mind.

Below please find the notes and point ratings from our tasting. In the end we were all extremely pleased with the quality of the wine and especially can’t wait for the aging to pass ten years.. Each bottle expressed a higher quality than a 750ml bottle would provide.

Chateau De Barbe Blanche ’09 – St. Emilion – Lussac WMC 8pts; Wine Spectator 89pts. “Raspberry, blackberry and currant flavors along, with toasty vanilla and spice notes filling in on the medium-weight, juicy finish. A nice tarry flash on the finish.”

Chateau de L’Estang Cotes de Castillion ’09 – Cotes Castillon – WCM 5.5pts; Wine Advocate 90pts. “The opaque ruby/purple-tinges. Lots of sweet black currant and black cherry fruit intermixed with a hint of vanilla.

Chateau Vieux Chateau Palon ’10 – St Emilion – WCM 8pts; James Suckling 93pts. “Full and velvety, with beautiful fruits and ripe tannins. Dark chocolate and rich fruit on the palate. Sexy” 75% Merlot/25% Cabernet Franc

Again, a special thanks to Cara Mia for allowing us to host our tasting as they always aim to please in the food and service! Please take some time and dine there!!

Tags Chateau De Barbe Blanche ’09, Chateau de L’Estang Cotes de Castillio, Chateau Vieux Chateau Palon

Tastings

September Tasting – Experimental Meritage

Post author By Wesley Castellanos
Post date September 10, 2013

Wines are always left to the wine maker. Some are experienced as others take a chance. There are so many ways of making the special juice. Have you ever felt you could make a wine that would taste great? Making wine takes years and years of harvests and attention.

The club took the easy way. We decided to blend three varietals and attempt to concoct a great wine. This experiment was interesting because most of us have never tried this.

The meritage was led by Jeff Tenin. In his recent trip to where blending is a true art, Bordeaux. He learned the craft and selected three varietals from Napa Valley. We tasted them in the order below.

Merlot by Martin Ray – Diamond Mountain District 2009. 14.6% Alc.

Cabernet Franc by World’s End – Against the Wind 2009.

Cabernet Sauvignon by Martin Ray – Diamond Mountain District 2009. 14.6% Alc.

Merlot: Dark red with hints of new leather. Some dried cranberries with a light structured body. The alcohol opened our palates and it had a lasting tart finish.

Cabernet Franc: Dark ruby red. On the nose it expressed hints of vanilla and ripeness. Great depth and full bodied – not bold! The finish was soft and tannic.

Cabernet Sauvignon: Ruby red. French oak nose. The taste and texture was a bit astringent and lasted through the long finish.

Now the blends:

70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 10 Cabernet Franc: Great layers and complexity on the nose. A full body and good finish. (This was the teams favorite)
60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc: The merlot provided a great bouquet, however on the palate it was soft and tart. The finish was long.
40% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20 Cabernet Franc: Ripe Cherry Nose but the astringent of the Sauvignon was powerful. Tart finish.
70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10 Cabernet Franc: Ripe cherry but tart.

We paired the wines with the cuisine prepared by Tuyo. They menu was based on the music from Memphis. Master Chef Norman Van Aken based his dishes from Carl Perkins, Booker T. and the M.G.’s, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Elvis Presley, and B.B. King.

Tags Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Meritage, Merlot, Napa

Tastings

July / August (Summer) Tasting – White French

Post author By Wesley Castellanos
Post date August 7, 2013

August 7, 2013

Here in Miami, we rarely complain about the heat. It’s inevitable and we learn to counterbalance it with light clothing, air conditioned spaces, Miami Spice dinners and French White Wine.

We decided to combine the months of July and August into one tasting. Since we were saving time and fees due to one less tasting, we made the tasting of the highest quality.

The goal for the team was to purchase a white bottle of wine over the $100 threshold from France. We all know that it was an easy shopping spree. This made the tastings not worth missing. We also decided to take advantage of the Miami Spice Menu at Tuyo Restaurant as they paid homage to New Orleans.

If you add all the details above and envision a steamy night in Miami, we all agreed it was one of the most exceptional food & wine experiences of our lives.

The bottles presented are as follows:

1. Domaine de la Vougeraie – Vougeot-Clos Du Prieure 2010
13% Alc. $96: A funky, musty, oak, and apple nose. Sharp tart taste with lingering bitter finish. This wine was not corked or spoiled, but did not have French white qualities.

2. Patrick Javillier – Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2010
100% Chardonnay 13.5% Alc.(2 bottles @ $144 each); Light smoked and cindered ashes on the nose. Buttery taste and finish. It had soft hints of ripe butternut. A gorgeous classic French White. Exudes excellence.

3. Domaine Raymond Usseglio & Fils – Chateauneuf Du Pape 2011
100% Roussanne. $73.14% Alc.; Amazing sour apples on the nose; some tart stone fruit layers (white peach, melon & apples). A subtle mineral finish. An amazing wine to experience because of the layers.

As the wine complimented the food flavors, we all were extremely intrigued with the whites.

The best quality was the Patrick Javillier.

Sincerely,

Wesley

Tags Chateauneuf Du Pape 2011, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2010, Domaine de la Vougeraie, Domaine Raymond Usseglio & Fils, ougeot-Clos Du Prieure 2010, Patrick Javillier

Tastings

June Tasting: Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Powerful Pinots…

Post author By Wesley Castellanos
Post date June 26, 2013

First and foremost, I must state, I enjoy being the President of the club. It’s not an easy task leading nine grown men into the woods, but as they entrust me with the tastings, we ultimately make time to drink wine and compare notes. This tasting will go down in the history books as I broke the rules, and boy did I catch heat for it.

Now back to the Pinot! This fickle grape grows all over the world, but is it versatile? I made this experiment for my personal experience. I admit my inexperienced with Pinot Noirs, but it’s time for me and others to learn. I had the member team up to “comb the desert”. Their goal was to find a wine from a region that would be distinct enough that you would be able to spot it out of a line up.

This tasting wasn’t creative or unique. It was simply sampling five Pinot Noirs around the world and being able to pick out the region. We drank these amazing bottles blind, not side by side, we required our memories back track and start deciphering the regions. I provided a score card for notes and comparisons.

They were expressed the following notes, try guessing where they were from:

1^st. Our first wine was the platform… the color was crimson like a “typical” Pinot. Earthy and concentrated fruits on the nose. A nice bouquet of sweet apple, strong and powerful. A tight, long finish. This wine was great to start off the night.

2^nd. Again the crimson color, but more depth and earth notes on the nose. Cherry and floral palates. Soft body with Excellent character. Light finish.

3^rd. Bold and powerful nose!! Powerful palate and structure. A solid Pinot.. from….

4^th. Full-bodied with soft tanning. The alcohol lingers for a few seconds, but isn’t sharp. Swirls well on the palate. Ripe cherries with hints of cocoa..

5^th. A tight tannic flavor. Rich and earthy. Ripe berries and raspberries. Had depth and complexity with a long finish. Amazing!!

On the table we had Pinots from Oregon, Argentina, France, California and New Zealand. While the Pinots were bagged we all order our food from the best pizzeria in the world, Fratelli La Bufala.

1. Argentina – Patagonia. Chacra, Cincuenta y Cinco 2010. 11.5% Alc.

2. France – Côtes du Jura. Les Chais de Vieux Bourg 2009. 12.7% Alc.

3. Oregon – Willamette. Cristom, Eola-Maity Hills Jessie Vineyard 2010. 13.5% Alc.

4. New Zealand- Martinborough. Cobblestone, Te Muna. 2009. 14.9% Alc.

5. California – Sta. Rita Hills. Sea Smoke Southing 2010. 14.5% Alc.

New Zealand was the overall preferred wine of the group. I suggest you hit these Pinots hard as they are making exceptional quality wine.

Tags Pinot Noir

Tasting Technique

• Henri Abele, Brut Rose Champagne (non-vintage) • Domaine Bader-Mimeur, Saint-Aubin Ler Cru “En Remilly”, Chassagne-Montrachet, 2011 & 2013 • Giacosa Barolo Falletto 2005 Le Rocche Falletto- (96pts- WS; 95pts-ST; 94+pts WA) • Fontodi Flaccianello Della Pieve, 2006 (99pts-WS; 96pts RP)

Now the blends: