Wine as mouthwash? Yes please!– Barnard Griffin Syrah Port 2008

Nov 25 2009

I’m nervous.  I’m about to make the jump to the left of the page– to the “wine” section of the PalateBomb archives.  Always being immediately relegated into the “not wine” section on the right has left me with a constant feeling of inferiority I haven’t felt since the days of dodgeball.  It’s like the hot or not of the wine blogging world.  Now, this 2008 Syrah Port by Barnard Griffin is going to move me on over to the left for the first time.  The last thing to move me to the left had a Yale and Harvard education (supposedly), refused to use words from the English language, and choked on a pretzel once (well, only once that we know of).  I imagine this Port tastes much better.

I’ve held onto it for awhile ever since it was bestowed upon me to review.  It was a test in patience that I think I passed with flying colors.  But this Friday night, after going out with a friend fell through at the last minute, I needed something to do.  Naturally, I retired to my wine cellar and the Port stood out like an oasis in the Sahara.  Actually, it was at the foot of my bed as I went into my room to change into my cowboy pajamas.  The point’s still the same.  My patience ran out, I ripped the bottle out of the bag that had been protecting it from light for the past two months, and kept my clothes on because I felt that my outfit that day was especially wine reviewer-esque.  Even if no one was there to see me, I looked the part.  You’ll have to trust me because I refuse to take pictures of myself in the mirror or have a MySpace account– two things that go hand in hand.  Regardless, my outfit was more suitable for my big wine reviewing debut than cowboy pajamas would have been.

I took the bottle to my kitchen and was thrilled to see that I required no corkscrew, or shoe and hard building.  I only had to unscrew the top.  As I let that breathe, I considered some food to have with it.  I’m bad with decisions, so I pulled out a bit of everything.  I had some dark chocolate, some walnuts and almonds, and half of a bagel with Nutella.  I thought some fruit would go well with it as well, but it was the end of the week and the only fruit– although it’s not really a fruit either– remaining was a pomegranate.  I wanted to get to this wine; opening up a pomegranate would only keep me from it longer.  Next time.

I chose the walnuts because when I first tasted this, and it was my first Port at the time, I was told by an intelligent Port veteran that Ports taste like walnuts.  I quickly agreed, and not just out of politeness.  I honestly agreed, but afterward I realized that I couldn’t remember the last time I had actually eaten a walnut.  So I wanted to eat walnuts side by side with the wine to make sure I hadn’t simply been affected by one of the same fallacies of wine reviewing summarized in this sure-to-be controversial Wall Street Journal article which mentions that one California wine was described as “Dusty, chalky scents followed by mint, plum, tobacco and leather. Tasty cherry with smoky oak accents…” in one publication, and “promising aromas of lavender, roasted herbs, blueberries, and black currants” in another.

But sure enough, that taste is walnuts.  And the taste of walnut is much better in a wine.  I now know why I hadn’t eaten a walnut in a while.  The description provided by Barnard Griffin makes no mention of walnuts; apparently instead it’s “shadings of earth.”  I’m no marketer, but I’d prefer to call it walnut than dirt. They also say there’s cherry and plum in there.  I can taste the cherry just about as strongly as the walnut.  When sipped quickly, it goes down smoother than any red wine I’ve had.  I think the Syrah and cherry tastes blend to overpower the bitterness that usually comes with (and turns me off of) walnut, preserving only the unique and tasty meatiness of it.  When I keep the wine on my tongue for a bit– maybe that’s a strange thing to do, I wouldn’t know– it turns spicy, a completely different feeling than when I swallowed immediately.  It tasted like Listerine, if Listerine had come out with a delicious new wine flavor.  I did not swish it, but I did like achieving this spicy effect right after nibbling some of the chocolate.  Perhaps the spiciness came from the mysterious plums.  Are there spicy plums?

I have just one beef with this Port.  What’s with the bottle being so small?  Let’s make it a little bigger next year, okay?

As I’m trying more and more red wines, and finding ones that I like, this is the first one I can say I truly enjoyed.  Yes, I’ve found others I liked the taste of, but this is the first one I remember the taste of long after, just as I have long done with beers I truly enjoy.  This was an excellent introduction to Ports, and I hope it’s a gateway to many more.  Additionally, I hope the others know that the bar has been set high by Barnard Griffin.

Now that I’m done with my first review, I just have one question for next time.  Is there any sort of rule against reviewing the same wine twice?

Middle Sisters have a wine of their own – Rebel Red!

Oct 30 2009

I am part of a trio of sisters. To be exact, I am right in the middle. Not the oldest who carries the bulk of the responsibility or the youngest who enjoys here own type of pampering, but right smack in the middle. Being the middle sister, I have learned to have thick skin, be a mediator, and act as therapist when necessary. The only people who truly understand the complexity of my birth order are other middle sisters. It was a pleasant surprise on a shopping trip to come across a wine called “Middle Sister.”

I was a little hesitant to pick it up because of where I was getting it from, but I decided that the picture was a great representation of a middle sister, so I decided “Why not?” Haven’t I heard somewhere that women wine buyers tend to buy based on label? It sold me! And at $10.99 it was worth every penny. The one I picked up was Rebel Red (how appropriate for a middle sister!).

Rebel Red is a blend of different grapes, 38% zinfandel, 34% merlot, 21% cabernet sauvignon, 5% syrah, 2% mixed red varietals. When I took a sip, I was pleasantly surprised to see how smooth it was. It wasn’t too sweet or too dry, which is perfect for me.

Since then, I have tasted other Middle Sister wines – both red and white – and have not been disappointed with any of them. The wines all seem to have a balance that will fit many wine drinkers’ palates – a nice, smooth sipping wine that is easy to enjoy. Middle Sister wines have quickly become one of my favorite to pick up when I want to relax with a nice glass of wine or am joining friends for dinner.

The only issue is that I have not been able to find it anywhere but in Target. I’ve looked at my local wine shop and grocery, but no go. This is such a delightful wine, that I can only hope they will expand their distribution – Target is not a place most people go seeking out wine and I fear this enjoyable tasting wine will go largely undiscovered in the aisles across from CDs and cameras.

Even if you aren’t a middle sister, I recommend checking this one out. I have recommended it and shared bottles with several friends, and they’ve all been pleased. Give it a try!

Desert Wind – Sangiovese 2007

Oct 23 2009

Thinking that I had already become familiar with red wines, I was taken by surprise by Sangiovese 2007 from Desert Wind Winery.  Sitting around the table having casual conversation with two friends of mine, we popped open the bottle.  This wine, dark in color, had a scent of cherries and oak.  As I swirled the wine in the glass, the scent of berries and oak became stronger.

Taking the first sip, with an expectation of a bitter taste, my eyes opened wide.  I was taken by surprise at how the flavors of this wine reacted with my tongue.  It did not have that intense bitter taste.  Observing my friends’ facial reactions, I could tell that they were also surprised by this wine.  The taste was that of a fruity flavor and extremely smooth on the palate.  Usually red wines have a much stronger and bitter flavor that leaves an after-taste.  Not saying that the after-taste is bad, this is merely a description of how this wine coats when swiveled in your mouth.

I read the label on the bottle and it mentioned light on tannins.  What are tannins?  My friends really didn’t know, so I looked it up.  Tannins are what cause the dry flavor or the pucker of your lips when you sip a red wine.  The wine tannins come from the skins of the grape, stems and seeds.  Tannins can also come from the barrels that are used to age the wine.  Sangiovese 2007 is very light on tannins, which makes it very easy to sip and enjoy.

We could not stop talking about how delicious this wine was.  I had never tasted anything like this before. This wine would be good with just about any type of food.  I still have a lot to learn but this was a great wine.  I would definitely recommend this wine to anyone who is interested in adding a bottle to their wine rack or cellar.  Two thumbs up Desert Wind!!