Categories
Tastings

Summer 2023 Champagne Tasting

Wine Club’s Miami’s Summer 2023 Champagne Tasting, generously hosted by Jesus and Pamela Cabarcos, brought the club together for one last round before our summer break.

Wine Club Miami 2023 Champagne Tasting

Jesus Cabarcos presents a magnum of Charles Heidsieck
Wine Club Miami 2023 Champagne Tasting

And a pour of Grand Siecle, 24th Iteration
Wine Club Miami 2023 Champagne Tasting

Pamela Cabarcos provided the perfect pairing for our tasting.
Wine Club Miami 2023 Champagne Tasting

Wine Club Miami 2023 Champagne Tasting

Wine Club Miami 2023 Champagne Tasting

Wine Club Miami 2023 Champagne Tasting

Our tasting line-up consisted of:

Gosset, Aged in lees 12 years
Grand Siecle, 24th Iteration
Charles Heidsieck Magnum, 2015 base
Vilmart Rose
George Laval Le Cumieres
Delamonte Blanc de Blancs
Egly Ouriet Grand Cru
Nicholas Maillart Platine
Louis Roederer 243 Collection

Wine Club Miami 2023 Champagne TastingTo cap off our night, Jesus opened a pair of exceptional bottles of Dunham Cellars 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Wine Club Miami 2023 Champagne TastingHost Jesus Cabarcos in his wine rooom

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Tastings

March Blind Tasting – Italian Reds


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Wine Club Miami Italian Red Blind Tasting

The March 2023 meeting of Wine Club Miami brought members together for a Blind Tasting of Italian Reds at the Miami Yacht Club thanks to an invite from Commodore Mark Ingraham.

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Jesus supplied six wines under the cover of foil – three Nebiolo, one Barbera, one Sangiovese and one Cabernet Franc. Three wines were under $60 and the other three over $100. Members were tasked with determining the grape, price and age of each.

Wine Club Miami Italian Red Blind Tasting

Wine Club Miami Italian Red Blind Tasting

Beneath to foil, in the order of tasting, the wines were:

#1. 2017 Roberto Voerzio Barolo Del Commune Di La Morra
(Nebiolo) $165

#2. 2007 Paolo Scavino Bric de Fiasc
(Nebiolo) $120

#3. 2015 Arpepe Valtellina Superiore Sassella ‘Stella Retica’
(Nebiolo) $56

#4. 2015 Proprieta Sperino ‘L Franc Bandir Vino da Tavola
(Cabernet Franc) $115

#5. 2018 Fontodi Chianti Classico – Tuscany
(Sangiovese) $44

#6. 2018 Alberto Voerzio Barbera D’Alba La Morra – Piedmont
(Barbera) $40

Wine Club Miami Italian Red Blind Tasting

How’d we do? No one got all the wines, ages and prices right, but most members were close. We all agreed it was a great exercise of our tasting agility and when it comes to fine wine, we’re alweays ready to give out tastebuds a challenge.

Wine Club Miami Italian Red Blind Tasting

Miami Yacht Club was founded in 1927 by Miami pioneers. Located on Watson Island, the club is surrounded by the Biscayne Bay overlooking the Miami City skyline and South Beach. The Club offers youth sailing, multihull racing, one class regattas and sponsors numerous regattas.

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Events

Great Wines of the World 2023 Grand Tasting Visits Miami Beach

James Suckling hosts Great Wines of the World 2023 Grand Tasting at the Miami Beach Convention Center

James Suckling brought over 300 world-renowned wine producers to Miami Beach for the Great Wines of the World 2023 Grand Tasting – one of the USA’s best and largest wine gatherings featuring the top wine regions in the world. This tour of top-scoring wines, which were all rated at least 92 points (most scoring 95-98 points) featured many of the JamesSuckling.com Top 100 Wines of 2022 list. The event featured celebrated winemakers from iconic wineries sharing their valuable insights.

James Suckling hosts Great Wines of the World 2023 Grand Tasting at the Miami Beach Convention Center

Beaulieu Vineyard’s Ruterford Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and Georges de Latour Private Reserve
Beaulieu Vineyard’s Ruterford Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon ($85) dubbed “Baby George” held up quite nicely beside their signature 100-point Georges de Latour Private Reserve 2019 ($150)

FUTO Estate Vineyards 2019 FUTO OV | SL and FUTO Oakville Cabernet
FUTO Estate Vineyards pours their 2019 FUTO OV | SL ($270) 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Cabernet Franc, 16% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot and FUTO Oakville Cabernet ($480) 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Daou Vineyards’ Soul of a Lion and 2019 Estate Mayote
I’ve always enjoyed Daou Vineyards’ signature Soul of a Lion ($150) and was equally impressed with their 2019 Estate Mayote ($125)

Concha y Toro’s Don Melchor 2019 and 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon
Long-time favorite Chilean wine producer Concha y Toro poured their 2019 and 2020 Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon ($145)

Vik Millahue from Chiles Cachapoal Valley
After 24-months barrel aging, Vik Millahue ($149) from Chile’s Cachapoal Valley perfectly pairs with wagyu steak and herb rubbed roasted lamb ribs.

Seña unique Bordeaux-style red blend
Seña ($150) is a unique Bordeaux-style red blend with a very Chilean soul backed by family heritage, Eduardo Chadwick and Robert Mondavi. Its predominant variety is Cabernet Sauvignon while Carmenere ties it to Chile.

Baronesa P. from Baron Philippe de Rothschild in Maipo, Chile
Baronesa P. ($68) is a full-bodied blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere with Cabernet Franc from Baron Philippe de Rothschild’s operation in Maipo, Chile

Cathiard Vineyard’s new range of limited-production wines

Florence and Daniel Cathiard of Bordeaux’s Smith Haut Lafitte recently acquired Cathiard Vineyard, a historic property in Napa Valley. The prestigious estate is situated in Rutherford and St. Helena at the foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains, and the winery’s tasting boutique offers on-site experiences featuring Cathiard Vineyard’s new range of limited-production wines.

2020 vintages of Saint-Émilion Château Tour Saint Christophe and Château Haut-Brisson
2020 vintages of Saint-Émilion’s Château Tour Saint Christophe ($35) and Château Haut-Brisson ($30) under stewardship of Peter Kwok and his daughter Elaine.

Château Mouton d'Armailhac and Château Clerc Milon
Château Mouton d’Armailhac ($75) and Château Clerc Milon ($105) Fifth Growth neighbors located between two prestigious First Growths, Château Mouton Rothschild and Lafite in Pauillac.

Ruffino Super Tuscan Modus
Ruffino Super Tuscan Modus ($29) features a blend of three noble grape varieties and punches way above its weight class.

Second Grand Cru Classé Château Pichon Baron and their second wine Les Griffons de Pichon Baron
Second Grand Cru Classé Château Pichon Baron ($200) and their second wine Les Griffons de Pichon Baron ($60) hail from one of the great historic vineyards of Bordeaux.

Sons of Eden Remus 2019 Eden Valley and Romulus 2019 Barossa Valley Old Vine Shiraz
Sons of Eden Remus 2019 Eden Valley ($80) and Romulus 2019 Barossa Valley Old Vine Shiraz ($80) showcase an exceptional Barossa vintage for old vine Shiraz that should age gracefully for many years to come.

Prats and Symington Chryseia and Post Scriptum
Prats + Symington Chryseia ($106) and its second wine, Post Scriptum ($36), are consistently amongst the most highly rated Douro wines

Taylor Fladgate 20 Year Old Tawny and  Quinta de Vargellas Vintage Port
Taylor Fladgate 20 Year Old Tawny ($50) and Quinta de Vargellas Vintage Port ($53) provide the perfect finish to any tasting

Wine Club Miami

Categories
Wineries

Chateau Montelena Celebrates 50 Years!

Our good friends at Chateau Montelena celebrate 50 years under the creative stewardship of the Barrett Family including their epic victory in the ‘Judgement of Paris’ in 1976. Cheers to many more great vintages.

Categories
Tastings

Celebrating the Brotherhood of Port

This week we had a chance to sample excellent Porto and Douro wines at the Association of Port Wine Tasting at the Fontainebleau Hotel Miami featuring a selection of wines from Blackett Port Wine, Jorge Rosas Vinhos, Niepoort, Porto Réccua Vinhos, Ramos Pinto, Rozès and Sogevinus Wineries.


Jorge Rosas of Ramos Pinto showed off a fine line of Porto and Douro


Raul Monteiro of Sogevinus Wines showed off their 60-year-old tawny.


We were pleasantly surprised by this smooth finish of this very affordable White Reserve Porto from Rozes.


Pedro Carniero of Blackett rolled out some of our favorite ports!


The Brotherhood of Port welcomes eight new members including our good friend James Beard Award-winning wine and food writer Lyn Farmer.

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Events

Wine Club Miami 2015 Annual Event

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Categories
Reviews

2015 Year in Retrospective

We are coming to the end of our ninth year together, and beginning our tenth. Traditionally, this is the start our “Tin” anniversary, but I prefer the more modern symbol of our tenth year together, “Diamond”. 2015 was a year of getting back to fundamentals.

We started our year with the introduction of a series of lectures led by Brian Connors, Wine Professor from Johnston & Wales. Brian taught us the same professional tasting techniques used by master sommeliers. We quickly formed a great appreciation for the difficulty associated with trying to blindly determine region, varietal and vintage.

However, with each successive tasting this year, our group as a whole, was able to detect the nuances associated with different regions and varietals. Personally, I find myself going through the sight, smell, and taste routine as I drink all wines now.

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A few highlights of the year were:

  • A vertical tasting of arguably the top Malbec producer in the world, Achaval-Ferrer
  • The 1991 Dominus Estate (courtesy of Arnie) Blind Tasting
  • Wines of Italy sponsored by Sarah Brownell of Cru Artisan Wines featuring Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino
  • France vs USA (Pinot Noir) Blind Tasting
  • Gourmet Chef’s Dinner paired with lesser known regional wines (Chef Chris Caplan of Cantinetta Vintners)
  • Napa, California vs Wala Wala, Washington (Cabernet and Meritage) + 10 year vintage variance Blind Tasting
  • 2000 Bordeaux
  • Champagne and rare wine tasting from a private collector’s cellar
  • Youth vs Age in Barolo Blind Tasting

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Beyond the educational focus in 2015, I also believe that our club has found a good balance in the social aspect as well. Attendance this year was one of the highest I can remember, and on the occasion that a member could not attend, open spaces were quickly filled by past members and friends. The commitment and contributions of our members has and will always be the backbone to the success and longevity of our group.

It has been my pleasure serving as President for the past 12 months, and I wish David Yaris much success as our new President. l look forward to celebrating our diamond anniversary year with more great wines, cherished friends and a weekend away to commemorate this milestone.

–Jeff Tenen, President, Wine Club Miami

Wine-Club-Miami-Jeff-Tenen

Categories
Events

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.

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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.

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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

Categories
Tastings

Champagne and Claws

Wine Club Miami November 2014 Champgne Tasting

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!

Wine Club Miami November 2014 Champgne Tasting

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

Wine Club Miami November 2014 Champgne Tasting
Event hosts Matt Hege and Andrew Cohen

Categories
Events

2012 Vin Review

It’s time to uncork our Vino Miami blog and finish off another enjoyable wine filled year. Memorable wines and memorable times have marked our calendar with a few notable moments and enjoyable wines to remember along the way. We started out tasting thru the old country with several noatable wines. Lively conversation and a new scoring approach marked our first few tastings. LMNT in Wynwood was the spot and 2010 Principessa Gavia “Gavi” with a overall score of 8.37 was the highest scoring white of the year.

In April, We enjoyed Matt Jewel’s rooftop setting for an Italian tasting.

The May Beer party was a nice break as we ventured off the wine path and hit South Beach for the love of Beer.

Back into the tastings as we explored the French and found a new definition for “Bait and Switch”… A French Discrepancy marked our night at the French Cafe, “Oui, we like wine but, we charge corkage…” Our night at Buena Vista Bistro also marked Wesley’s first wine club event as a member.

Chateau Mahmoud was the setting for the September tasting featuring blended whites and reds from California.

A great Miami evening with notable wines including the winning the highest scored red wine for the year the Justin Isosceles 2008 Paso Robles Blend ranking 8.22

We wrapped our year with  our final two tastings at the Miami Culinary Institute’s  Tuyo.

Terrific food, excellent service and nice wines directed our attention and our scoring. Ending our blind tastings with the 2009 Chateau Carigan Primm marking our final wining red wine.

Best, your wine captain! –Matt Hege