June is when Miami locals begin to thin their blood. We prepare ourself to embrace the scorching heat that is about to come in the summer. And we do this by drinking wine. We truly don’t care about the color but as long as it is therapeutic.
Wineclubmiami was hosted at Matt J’s home. This was my second time far out from South Beach and Downtown Miami, but the scenic route through what trumps a Miami Vice movie is what make Miami. The landscaping to Matt’s home was amazing lush and unique. The other ten thousand plus s.f. homes made it memorable.
Once we walk in, Jeff immeidately poured juice into our glasses (BYOG – Bring your own glasses). We sneak a peak at the label and read “Kosta Browne”.
Bottle #1 – ’13 Kosta Browne, One Sixteen, Russian River Valley, Chardonnay –The wine was a bright gold. Shimmered in the lighting. It had hints of sour apple and roasted pecans with an Oaky finish. It had a nice texture and body.
Jeff then feeds us about the history of Kosta Browne and their Chardonnay. We all sipped it to fast for Jeff to finish his sentence.
Special Guest with a Special Wine Bottle #2
Arnie is then introduced as the guest for the evening. He was kind enough to share a bottle he purchased and held for 23 years. He did not tell us anything about the bot other than he wanted us to experience it. The team begins with their small case of Tourette symptoms. We concluded the wine following:
Bottle #2 – Brick brownish color. A sense of age on the nose. It was complex with strong a musty character. The body was absent on this bottle. It lacked texture on the palate and the finish dissolved quickly. However, we knew about the age so we kept studying the wine. It began to open slowly, but still had the strength to make a statement. We felt this bottle was past its prime and it should be drank immediately. Steven G called out “Petrus”. Then to our surprise it’s the same maker for this bottle.
1991 Dominus, Napa Valley Napanook Vineyard
Bottle #3 – ’08 Achaval Ferrer. Finca Altamira, La Conulta Mendoza – Inky dark plum, ripe berries on the nose. No tannins and blueberry hints. The body complimented the flavors, but it could age for many years (5-7). This was an outstanding high quality made wine. The French oak completed the wine.
Bottle #4 – ’03 Achaval Ferrer. Finca Mirador, Medrano Mendoza – Inky plum. The color sticks to the glass. High alcohol on the nose. Cranberries, fennel, cinnamon stick. The finish was of a sweet cranberry. A superb wine. WOW we all said. It was so perfect with the dinner. The was the favorite of the evening.
Bottle #5 – ’02 Achaval Ferrer. Finca Mirador, Medrano Mendoza – Inky and dark. Light rim variation. Looked older than the rest. Sweet spices on the nose. A robustness on the palate. This aged bottle had structure and texture that was one to always remember. We loved this bottle.
All the wines were quiet until we paired them with a flame grilled porterhouse steak and roasted vegetables. Once these two met it was an explosion of finesse and quality. It was as if the two introduced themselves followed by dancing the entire night. The kosher salt in the beef balanced the wines. The food and wine combination was simply amazing and perfect. At the end of our evening we concluded that Bottle #4 was our favorite for the evening. We suggest you pick up this bottles from Agrentina and by quantity. Try them every three years and experience them age with the same dish.