Hafner 2005 Chardonnay – Alexander Valley, California

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img_3402I received this estate-bottled wine as a gift. The vineyard is in the family of a work colleague. I’m not a big chardonnay fan, but have to admit this was a nice, balanced wine. The nose has interesting notes of pineapple and vanilla with a faint slate mineral note. A straw color typical of the varietal, the wine was quite balanced in spite of that initial pineapple cake advertisement. I’m not sure how much this goes for by the bottle or where to find it, but I’d say a chardonnay lover should be willing to spring for it at $45 and below.

 

  • Rating: Everyday Whites
  • Name: 2005 Chardonnay
  • Winery: Hafner
  • Region: Alexander Valley, California
  • Country: USA
  • Varietals: Chardonnay
  • Price: N/A
  • Where to Buy: N/A

Les Crestes 2013 – Priorat, Spain

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IMG_3335Roses, cherries, and cotton candy on the nose, right after the cork pops. This one attacks the palate with powerful Catalan characteristics of leather, barely ripe plum, faint cocoa, some herbal grass notes. A musty, dank autumn forest feel marries well with the characteristic Catalan “fuerte” tannin. As it opens up the nose shifts to toasted marshmallows, cedar, and very faint mulling spice in a nice blended harmony. Dark cherries, milk chocolate, and leather meld with roses, all shorn up with a hit of hard, Catalan tannin. This is a fine wine, as Hemingway would say. I picked this one up in Spain, either San Sebastian or Barcelona (can’t recall), but bumped into it again at a tasting in TriBeCA. No idea what price, but below $40.

  • Rating: Impressive
  • Name: Les Crestes 2013 
  • Winery: Mas Doix
  • Region: Priorat
  • Country: Spain
  • Varietals: 80% Grenache, 10% Carignan, 10% Syrah
  • Price: N/A
  • Where to Buy: N/A

Virgola, New York, NY

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Blink and you might miss it. I’m very hesitant to review this little gem because, well, it’s so tiny I’m afraid I won’t get a seat next time I go. They don’t take reservations – they don’t have to. Their menu consists of charcuterie, cheese, vegetables, and a few seafood small-plates to go with the featured oysters. Usually, I order a few rounds of the oysters of the day – $1-1.50 for the chef’s choice of whatever they got a good deal on. The oysters are properly shucked, fresh, and accompanied with fresh grated horseradish, as well as the usual cocktail and mignonette. The place is a no-brainer and one of my favorite little spots for now and I can’t wait until they open up a location in the East Village.

Address: Virgola, 28 Greenwich Ave, New York, NY

Tertulia, New York, NY

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Tertulia is what happens when a celebrity chef feels hemmed in by his creation (Boqueria) and longs for a place of his own. Seamus Mullen went for it with Tertulia, which claims to focus on cuisine from the Asturias region of Spain. I’ve never been to that part of Spain, but the menu is full of dishes I do recognize. And love. This is also the only place outside of San Sebastian that I’ve found proper Spanish sidra, poured correctly, no less. They do a fine pulpo, albóndigas, and the best arroz negro I’ve had . . . other than mine, of course. The tapas and tablas are well chosen and executed. I’ve always wanted to get the chuletón – beef rib steak – but have never been able to muster the appetite for its girth. If you have a real love of Spanish food and drink, you can’t go wrong here. Make your reservation today.

Address: Tertulia, 359 6th Ave, New York, NY

Bar El Vallado, Pamplona, Spain

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When you are in Pamplona and it is San Fermines and you are dancing, running, singing at the top of your lungs with a bottle in one hand and a stranger’s hand in the other, you will need jamon. You will need jamon worse than you ever thought anyone could ever need jamon and you will need it now. There’s no other place to consider.

Address: Bar El Vallado, Plaza Consistorial, 2, 31001, Pamplona, Spain

Herdade dos Outeiros Altos Vinho Biologico 2012 – Alentejo, Portugal

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60% Alfrocheiro, 10% Trincadeira, 30% Aragonés certified organic. Another installment of the Portuguese table wine journey. This one, a blend of indigenous grapes and Aragonés (which is either Garnacha or Alicante Bouschet in drag, depending on who is talking, but Spanish regardless), attacks the front of the palate with juicy red and dark fruit with a floral punch. Violets and ripening raspberries on the nose followed across the tongue by the aforementioned fruits and slightly green plum, fig, cherry, mossy black rubber, and chewy tannins. These all sound rather dank, but the balance is good and body medium. I picked this one up at Brooklyn Wine Exchange for about $18-20 and it was a rockstar with goat cheese and mushroom tortellini.

  • Rating: Everyday Reds
  • Name: Vinho Biologico 2012
  • Winery: Herdade dos Outeiros Altos 
  • Region: DOC Alentejo
  • Country: Portugal
  • Varietals: 60% Alfrocheiro, 10% Trincadeira, 30% Aragonés
  • Price: $18-$20
  • Where to Buy: Brooklyn Wine Exchange, 138 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Rendezvous 2010 – Middleburg, Virginia

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Nathan gave me this bottle as a gift and is much more qualified to give background information on the RdV Vineyard. This is a very impressive wine. Only the “very” part is attributable to the fact that it’s from Virginia – it would be impressive regardless. I’m writing now after having the bottle open for about an hour. Early going, it exhibited some nice mossy notes that I usually associate with some better French wines. Now as I taste it a nice tannic, melted strawberry ice cream note hits the front of the tongue. That’s a very specific flavor, but accurate. Strawberries, cherries, and flint on the nose. The tannin shores up any fruitiness and marries it well with a faint grassiness that goes well with the red fruits and faint leather, vanilla, and anise flavors. I might have liked a bit more body, perhaps more emphasis on the leather or raisiny chewiness, but this is a lovely, elegant wine that shows its distant French roots. Count me a skeptic on Virginia wine, but not if it’s labeled RdV.

  • Rating: Impressive 
  • Name: Rendezvous 2010
  • Winery: RdV Vineyards
  • Region: Middleburg, Virginia
  • Country: USA
  • Varietals: Bordeaux blend composing of Merlot 44%, Cabernet Sauvignon 24%, Petit Verdot 20%, Cabernet Franc 12%
  • Price: $85
  • Where to Buy: You can purchase this wine directly from RdV Vineyards

Chateau Pas du Cerf Cotes de Provence 2012 – Provence, France

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A nice slate and herb nose, with a slight cheese-rind mustiness that works just right. Deep garnet coloring and medium to light body. Light white pepper and gentle juiciness come on early with a hint of grassiness. Cherries, brisk red fruits, plum and bright acidity blends well with the ease of structure and nearly non-existent tannins. This is an excellent light red when you’re not feeling like the usual punch in the mouth reds that I favor. Just the right amount of character – I don’t tend toward French wines, but I’m glad we got this one. Picked this one up at La Petite Jurassienne (56 Rue de la Buffa) cheese shop in Nice, France. I have no idea whether it’s available in the US or at what price.

  • Rating: Everyday Reds
  • Name: Cotes de Provence 2012
  • Winery: Chateau Pas du Cerf 
  • Region: Provence
  • Country: France
  • Varietals: N/A
  • Price: N/A
  • Where to Buy: La Petite Jurassienne, 56 Rue de la Buffa, Nice, France

Alanda Tinto 2011 – Galicia, Spain

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IMG_6394-0Sheridan and I shared this the afternoon that we crushed the first vintage of our “estate” Barbera, proudly grown in Kensington, MD – more on that in a later post.

This one was subtle and refreshingly fruity with plums and berry fruits. It only had a hint of oak, which made the sense of place shine through. The wine and the three varietals that define it, Mencia, Bastardo, and Garnacha Tintorera, were grown in Galicia, Spain, which boarders Northern Portugal (no wonder this was a hit with the two of us). Not sure how much it goes for or how the heck to buy it here…Sheridan, any thoughts to offer on this?

  • Rating: Everyday Whites
  • Name: Alanda Tinto 2011
  • Winery: Quinta da Muradella
  • Region: Galicia 
  • Country: Spain
  • Varietals: 65% Mencia, 30% Bastardo, 5% Garnacha Tintorera
  • Price: N/A
  • Where to Buy: N/A

Malvasia Brut Nature – Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain

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img_3543A nice bubbly dry cracker nose and straw color kicks off this brut. Rich grassiness and fresh baked pie crust with a faint hit of butter. On the back end there’s some light white pepper and a bit of mineral. None of this sounds unique, but perhaps I’m failing in the review because the moment you try this one you know you have something special. Elegant, sleek, and well-balanced. Like a few wines I’ve had, it’s actually more interesting when colder and gets less complex as it warms up. I know it isn’t supposed to be that way, but . . . I picked this one up at Chambers Street Wines in TriBeCa, NY on the suggestion of their Spain wine guru, Ariana.

  • Rating: Impressive 
  • Name: Malvasia Brut Nature
  • Winery: Bodegas Los Bermejos
  • Region: D.O. Lanzarote, Canary Islands
  • Country: Spain
  • Varietals: N/A
  • Price: $25
  • Where to Buy: Chambers Street Wines, 148 Chambers St, New York, NY 10007