Côte De Nuits Villages, "Vielles Vignes", A.Chopin & Fils 2006

Côte De Nuits Villages, "Vielles Vignes", A.Chopin & Fils 2006

Côte de Nuits Villages is a general appellation for Pinot Noir wines from five of the smaller communes of Côte de Nuits in Burgundy : Fixin, Brochon, Comblanchien, Corgoloin and Prissey.

To make the long story short, this little underdog burgundy rocks...
I got six bottles in a random liquor store on Lorimer and Grand in Williamsburg, $15 a pop.
This is as good as it gets for the price.

The nose is slow to open, but charming with intense raisin and pear.
Silky texture, medium body and a surprisingly mature, deep red color.
The mouth begins with a super dry prune, cherry pit and pear mid palete. The finish is cocoa, green pepper and after the wine opens, truffle. Perfectly balanced tannin.
If you find it, buy it.

Siesta en el Tahuantinsuyu Malbec 2004

Siesta en el Tahuantinsuyu, Malbec 2004

Mendoza, Argentina

Exclusive Selection - Selected by Ernesto Catena

40 USD

http://www.shopritewines.com/vsku1522733.html

One of the famous Catena ¨boutique¨ wines this limited production Malbec is ready to drink and is a bargain for the limited production of less than 7,000 bottles.

This Argentine wine belongs to the line that tributes South America's ancient civilizations.

It has a rich red colour and has a smooth nose with hints of raspberry, cherry and vanilla. The first taste will show hints of caramel, citric fruits and honey and will have a very smooth aftertaste of mint, this is a very complex and interesting wine.

Recommended with red meats but it matched perfectly with thai food, contrasting the spicyness of the food.

Old World Wines and New World Wines, make room for Tropical World Wines?

I've been interested for some time in whether good wines can be made in the tropics or countries not too far from the equator. The easy answer is no way but with recent research and technology developments it does seem to be possible. This category of wines is still in early development but there are more and more wineries in places like India, Venezuela, Thailand, Hawaii and Bali.

Here is a link to Bodegas Pomar in Venezuela that invested over 25 Million USD in developing good wines and are currently producing some wines that have won awards: http://www.bodegaspomar.com.ve/main/

Here's an article about wines in Bali:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/25/travel/25iht-baliwine.1.16406268.html

It looks like in ten or twenty years the world will be seeing more and more tropical wines from all over! Please give us any feedback you might have on these wines.

Blauer Zweigelt, Burgenland, 2007

Blauer Zweigelt 2007, Anita & Hans Nittnaus, Zweigelt, Burgenland, Austria
$15, Uva, Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Zweigelt variety is an easy to drink, grapey hybrid of Blaufränkisch and St. Lauren.
Its basically the Austrian Beaujolais: cheap and tasty.
This particular bottle definitely attempts to go another step...

Although slightly unbalanced (aggressive fruit acid), the mid-palette blackberry, lemon and sour cherry + the finish of raisin, fig and bitter chocolate make it a worthy experiment.
The nose is mostly lactic: yogurt, lychee and a touch of caramel.
The wine has crazy, flame like looking legs, medium body and a tiny bit of fizziness.

I chilled the leftovers overnight and that seemed to work pretty well.

Pinot Noir in Poland

Call it "global warming"... or maybe simply nobody ever attempted this; but Pinot Noir grapes seem to grow really well in my sister's micro-vineyard in southern Poland. The soil is pretty much identical as Burgundy: clays and limestone... Apparently it takes only 92 days of sun to mature Pinot grapes. I am curious to see the first crop next year:)

Cuma Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Argentina

El Almacen Restaurant, Williamsburg, 34 USD

This is an interesting organic wine. The nose has some cherry, salt water and green peppers. Taste has some cherry, black olives and a vegetable taste. Medium body but very powerful, a good steak wine such as the one I ate there :)

Some useful aroma/taste wheels

Taste/aroma and mouth-feel wheels: click to enlarge.

Bott Freres, Alsace 2005

Bott Freres, Alsace 2005
Pinot Noir, $25, found in a wine store on Manhattan Av., Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

I wish I could afford to have this guy as my daily wine...
Totally unpretentious, simple but sophisticated, very light body, ruby red transparent... it tastes like a good home made wine.
The nose is mature apple and cherry... mouth: apple, pomegranate, red currant. Crisp and fresh, really fun.

Adriano - Douro Valley, Portugal 2005

Greenpoint, Brooklyn 22 USD

Not to be rude, but this wine blows. It may have been the bottle it may have been the food pairing but this wine was very acidic... acidic in a "burns your throat" kind of way. I would be lying if I had anything to say positive about this wine but it may have been this specific bottle...

Marques de Caceres Crianza 2005

Spain restaurant, Manhattan. 26 dollars. We've all had a trustie Marques from time to time. Classic, cheap, full bodied Rioja. The tapas of albondigas and patatas bravas are compliments of the house. Good recession combo!

La Battagliola, Lambrusco Grasparossa 08

Ok, one more summer classic from my Bologna trip..
This is an upper shelf Lambrusco from Emilia - Romana, had it in a restaurant for 19 euro. So maybe 8-9 euro in a store...
Lambrusco is a low alcohol, usually red, fizzy wine., it is also a grape variety. This one had strong raspberry flavor both in the bouquet and taste, light body and an amazing, deep purple color. Wild strawberry note on the finish. Pretty groovy with some tortellini il brodo or baked rabbit, its the kind of wine you wanna have with greasy, northern Italian foods.
Apologies about the crappy photo taken with my cell:(

Protos 1996 Gran Reserva

Uva, Brooklyn USD$ 48

Protos 1996
The Ribera del Duero region is better known for barrel aged "crianzas" and "reservas". However, wines like this year's Protos show they can also produce pleasnt, easy drinking young wines.
Its a Prototype Pleasant, medium strength aromas of red and black berry fruit with a hint of yeasty youthfulness.

Broadbent Vinho Verde (Portugal)

Smith & Vine, Brooklyn, New York about 12 USD

A summer staple of mine. Very light; only 9% alcohol content, mineral tasting and mild carbonation. This is what I would call, as much as the term annoys some friends, a very quaffable summer white wine. Best served chilled!

Clos de Torribas 2006

Spanish tempranillo (Penedes), bought the bottle in Bogota. Not an expensive
wine, somwhere around $15. Medium body, vanilla and prune nose, cherry
and blueberry tastes... Amazing stuff, I would give it 8.5! Tried 2003 as well and it wasn't even close...

Barbera, Colli Bolognesi, 2008

This is a typical daily wine you would find in somebody's house in North-Western Italy... 7 euro
buys a bottle of this strawberry packed, fizzy, fun, thirst quenching beverage:)
It makes a perfect summer alternative to Prosecco if you a red wine drinker. I got the bottle in a supermarket in Bologna.

2007 Puzelat Clos du Tue Boeuf Cheverny Rouge Rouillon

http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1042286

Uva Wine Store, Williamsburg, New York US $ 20.00

This is an excellent value wine. Don't let its light red - almost rose - color fool you, this wine has a complex, stinky sulphuric nose and a taste of red currant and other berries. Tell us what you think if you happen to try it. It is suggested that you chill it slightly, I did not and still had a great experience with it.