A nice little birthday dinner for the Mrs. Barbarian of the household and once again we visited her favorite haunt. She loves to explore the menu, trying new things. Me? I order the same thing every time: New York Strip, medium-rare. The chef here has that steak down pat, so why tempt fate? I limit my explorations to the wine list. The owner of this little small-town bistro always has great stuff on the list and to be honest, like the chef’s steak the wine list has never let me down. On this trip I noted another wine from that Walla Walla place up in Washington, specifically Basel Cellars. We’d really enjoyed their Claret which was a cheap thrill indeed. This other selection was called “Merriment“. What better choice for a celebration? While it was well over 2X the price of the Claret we’d tried before, it still wasn’t outrageously priced as so many reds can be.

Merriment is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. It is also awesome. Mrs. Barbarian loved it. I loved it. Wonderful stuff.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way–in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

Thank you Mr. Dickens for Comparison Only is what we’re here to perform.

My parents were visiting recently, ironically stopping by before departing on a wine tour of the west coast, including Napa & Sonoma, Oregon and Washington. I often say “I aspire to my father’s lifestyle” and I mean it. He is enjoying the rewards due to him from a lifetime of labor by pursuing that which provides him great pleasure. One of these pleasures is the fruit of the vine. All of the finest wines I have ever tasted have been either at my father’s table, or at a table hosted by my father. It is through him that I have come to this passion for the vintners craft.

We made a reservation at our favorite local bistro for a dinner. While we both perused the wine list I spotted a Carmenère, from of all places, Walla Walla, Washington. My father introduced me to Carmenère about a decade ago and told me its story. I know that he visited Chile a few years ago and toured the varietals’ adopted homeland, so I suggested we try it. Pulling paternal rank knowing that he’d be footing the bill when the check arrived, he demurred, saying it was a bit too expensive (at around $42. You see I come by many traits honestly!) Not wanting to let the opportunity pass, I said “I’ll buy it.” He agreed and I ordered up a bottle. The proprietor let me know that it was an excellent choice and that it was one of his last bottles.

How Carmenère came to be planted in Walla Walla, WA is a story I’d love to hear some day, until then I’ll have to let the wine speak for itself. This Beresan Carmenère is a wonderful example of the varietal, which any Chilean winery would be proud to produce. It drinks as I’d expect a good Carmenère to drink; deep, rich, complex, and flavorful. While not as massively dense as some I’ve tried, it certainly isn’t what you would call light. Between the four of us the bottle went pretty fast and my father ordered a bottle of the other Carmenère found on the wine list; a Chilean called Root:1 (at around $32 at the restaurant, likely much less at retail.) I’ve had a Root:1 Cabernet Sauvignon before, but never their Carmenère until now.

It has all the same characteristics of the Beresan Carmenère, but with a slightly lighter flavor with quite a bit more fruit. Perhaps the fact that it is only 75% Carmenère, with the rest being Cabernet sauvignon and Syrah is what gives it the fruit-boost and lighter profile. Honestly they were both excellent, with the Beresan being my favorite of the two.

As Dickens said it is indeed the best and worst of times. A time when a modestly wealthy gentleman much watch his expenses due to the foolishness of the great titans of Finance who brought upon us this winter of despair. But it is also our Spring of hope, with everything before us, such that amazing fruits of far off continents are available to us for a few dollars here and there. Savor the fruits where you find them.

It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.

Links:
Beresan Wines.
Root:1 Wines.

A few nights ago I opened two bottles of Syrah. The first was one of our old standby’s, Cameron Hughes Lot 105 2004 Sonoma Mountain Syrah. I bought a case of this a while ago and we love it. Mrs. Barbarian and I enjoy this wine and have one likely twice a month. We have never NOT enjoyed it, and it is certainly a pleasing wine. Mrs. Barbarian likes syrah more than I do, and she has no complaints about Lot 105. It is a great value at $12 a bottle.

The second bottle is more than twice that price, at right around $30. Rarely do I spend that kind of money and frequently when I do I’m disappointed. Not so this time!

This is Chatter Creek 2003 Syrah from the Clifton Vineyard in Washington state. It literally blew away Mr. Hughes’ wine. This was a case where the price was justified by the product within the bottle. Especially when compared to the California Syrah (which, I’ll repeat, we LIKE), the Chatter Creek is truly awesome. Much richer flavor. Much more depth. As much as I love it when the low price wine meets or beats the higher priced one, in this case it did not happen.

I recommend both of these wines, but if the occasion warrants it, go with the Chatter Creek.

This that Cab Franc I mentioned in my last post. It is from Owen Roe, and named “Rosa Mystica” The bottle features a moody photograph of a ruined Irish abbey and tells tales of the misdeeds of the evil Oliver Cromwell on the Emerald Isle. Our bottle was numbered: 4753 of 7596 produced. The winery is located in Oregon, but the grapes are sourced from it’s northern neighbor, Washington state. I’ll tag it as the both.

We enjoyed this wine with a fine meal at Mrs. Barbarian’s favorite restaurant. She did the two-starters thing for dinner, whereas I went completely overboard with Chef Martin’s special of the night, a pair of venison chops in a red wine reduction sauce that was so amazing that I spooned it all up and was about to start licking my plate when Mrs. Barbarian deftly snatched the plate away to avoid death by embarrassment. What did she expect, marrying a Barbarian? Sigh.

The Owen Roe Cab Franc lived up to it’s name, being both red, and mysterious. Big as one would expect from a cab franc, but with subtlety and depth. Give it a try, I bet you’ll like it.

You’d do well to find Chef Martin and fresh-cut tender Bambi though. yum! (Now that I mention it some rabbit would be good with this too. mmmmmm…)

This wine sells for mid-range $35-$45 bucks, so again, it is a bit above my usual range. Seems par for the course for domestic products though, which is a shame. Well, I’ll always have Chile. I’ve decided to add a new category in this range’s honor: “Expensive, but not outrageous.”

Mrs. Barbarian & I went out for dinner last night. It was Christmas Eve and we’d done nothing to prepare, so when the better half declared “let’s go out” I was already dialling our favorite small town bistro for a reservation. Our little foothills burg had been blanketed with an unusual snowfall. Not that we don’t get snow, it is just we rarely see more than a dusting. For the past nine days we’ve been getting dumped upon. Our home is buried under over 3 feet, and down in town things are Alaskan in appearance. Our favorite bistro was indeed open on this semi-holiday, and we secured a table for two.

Upon arrival we found a festive atmosphere and a likeness of the owner/chef, Chef Martin in snow out front:

We were seated in a comfy spot at the back, beyond a large party of revelers, but adjacent to the wine racks and small bar. We both ordered one of their “signature martinis”… neither of which are really martinis in the traditional sense. Mrs. Barbarian’s was more like a margarita, with a salted rim, and tequila as the main liquor. Mine was called a “Toasted L’Orange” and is a bourbon-based concoction. Both were awesome. Chef Martin had a special for the occasion, a slab of prime rib that looked too good to pass up, so I ordered that along with an onion soup. Mrs. Barbarian ordered a pair of appetizers as her main course, some potato latkes with smoked salmon, and an amazing glazed prawns thing which she prevented me from tasting in a fit of selfishness. Her soup was a squash/curry contrivance that was spec-effing-tacular. Midway through our soups I ordered some wine. Martin’s business partner Steve always has a great wine list and introduces me to all sorts of good stuff. Last time we visited we enjoyed a wonderful Cabernet Franc (review coming soon) so I was paying close attention to that varietal. I didn’t see anything that caught my eye until I ran down the list of blends and here was something at a reasonable price point that just had a promising ring to it: Fall Line Winery Horse Heaven Hills Red Wine 2005, 39% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Franc, and 28% Cabernet Sauvignon.

It proved a wonderful accompaniment to our meal. Smooth and flavorful. Very drinkable. Very deep and satisfying.

The wine retails for around $30, so it is just a bit outside my usual range but I always throw my cheap side under the bus when I go out to eat. Mind you, it still calls out to me when I order so I never do anything stupid like order anything in triple digits! This wine falls into that grey area between “cheap” and “expensive” so I’ll classify it as both. However, I will be pursuing this one on my own and perhaps more of the output from this small winery in Washington state. From what I read on their website they make very limited quantities, so if you want to get yours before I hoard it all for the apocalypse, get off the couch and buy some!

The Vinagoth can’t take a photo obviously. Of course if you knew the circumstances leading up to this photo you might be more forgiving. It was at the Office Xmas Party last Friday night. I ended up at a table with the CEO, who said “You’re the expert, pick the wine!” That’s like handing a chainsaw to a psychopath! How could I resist?

So, perusing the long list I picked a Cab Franc that looked promising… a total wild ass guess to be honest. The Sommelier thought I was some sort of genius, saying something like “That is my favorite!” She brought the first bottle, which she expertly poured for the FIVE of us at that end of the table sharing that bottle. I thought she was a genius for getting the pour exactly right in each glass while and ending up with nothing left and all even. Damn this wine was good. The place where we had our party charged $60 a bottle, and I didn’t pay for it… well, I did pay for one bottle later, but it’ll be covered on my next expense report! I think between the five of us we polished off five bottles. It WAS a five course meal though.

Everyone at my table thought I was a genius, and everyone loved the wine. So what is it? Have a look at the photo above, can’t you read?

It is a O*S Winery 2006 Cabernet Franc. I can’t take a photo, but I can make an blur-free HTML link:

Here you go.

I have no idea what it goes for retail, but I may seek it out and buy some. How can you resist? It makes you into a genius!

Forgive me reader, for I have spent.

I classify this under my “on somebody else’s tab” category as it is an expensive wine… but I’ll admit, I spent my own hard earned money to acquire it. To be honest it is an act I mildly regret. Not that this is a bad wine really, in fact it was quite good. Excellent even! It is just that it goes against my character to hand over big bucks on a wine. Mind you what is big bucks to me is spare change to others.

This was a bottle of Carver Sutro 2004 Palisade Vineyard Napa Valley Petite Sirah, and I blew about forty five bucks on it. That is about double what I usually consider to be my limit on spending for a bottle of wine. This however, was a temptation I could not resist.

You see Carver Sutro is probably as passionate as I am about Petite Sirah… likely more. OK, I’ll be honest, WAY MORE. Petite Sirah is all they make (though I imagine some readers here suspect that it is all I drink!) At Carver Sutro they are dedicated to Durif. So you see, I HAD to buy this wine.

How was it? Pretty damn good. I should have decanted it for longer, in fact I should have cellared it given how much I paid… but what can I say? I’m a sucker for a Petite Sirah, and this one was polished off pretty damn quick. Mrs. Barbarian liked it. I loved it.

Should I find a $50 bill lying on the ground I know EXACTLY what I’m going to do with it.

First off this is, by far, the best stuff I have reviewed to date. Seriously good stuff.

A few weeks ago Mrs. Barbarian & I celebrated our wedding anniversary. Unlike my birthday, which is a budget affair, we have to go upscale for this one. I made a reservation at our favorite bistro and spoke to the owner, letting him know this was a special occasion. I requested a great wine at a reasonable price, and this is what he had waiting for us, at our nice table by a window.

Woodinville Wine Cellars 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Stillwatercreek Vineyard, Columbia Valley.

Amazing. Wonderful wine. If life ever takes me to Woodinville, Washington I’m going to have to stop by and say “thank you!”

I recently celebrated a birthday. Mrs. Barbarian arranged a dinner at a local steak place, a chain who sends you a coupon for a free dinner on your birthday. (Have I ever mentioned how frugal Mrs. Barbarian is?) I choose a filet, which they smother in bleu cheese and garlic, along with a twice-baked potato. Mrs. Barbarian selects a New York Strip. Looking for something powerful on the meager wine list I select this Napa blend called “Pazzo.”

It not only stands up to the big food, it is truly wonderful. It is a bit pricey, but as it is from Napa, perhaps it is a bargain at around $30 retail.

Last month while out on a business trip I attended a dinner with a potential client. We enjoyed a great dinner in a steak house with a great view. Being a classless barbarian I hogged the wine list while everyone else figured out what cut of the flesh of lesser beasts they’d be ordering. I always pick the same thing, so I don’t need to look at a menu in a steak place… just give me the wine list. My Petite Sirah radar spotted only one on the whole long list.. it was awash in Cabs, Merlots, and Pinots… but just one of that ballsy, barabaric mis-named varietal, Petite Sirah. I’d never had this one, “The Heretic”, but I figured it was a Petite Sirah, wasn’t an Oak Grove (bleagh!) and we were about to consume massive quantities of burned steer. How could I go wrong.

The sommelier came by and noted that I was the guy holding the (gigantic) wine list and I asked him to bring my choice. He replied that he hadn’t tried this one yet, and was looking forward to opening it. “Coward” I thought. If I had his job I’d be cackling in the cellar amid a pile of Petite Sirah barrels. Leave the Cabs and Pinots to the snobs upstairs, I’ll be hoarding the Petite Sirahs down in the cellar.

He brought the bottle about the time our appetizers arrived and poured me a sample.

oh. my. gawd.

Of the Petites I’ve enjoyed, this one tops them all. Truly awesome. Everyone at the table thought I was a genius.

I have no idea of the vintage to be honest (2005? 2006?). The bottle is heavy and large, almost like a champagne bottle. The label is minimal. I grabbed it and shot two photos with my cell phone on the black leather of the booth… and both of the photos are pretty bad… as you all know I am a LOUSY photographer, sorry. I can make out “Paso Robles” on this shot of the back label.

I must head to my wine merchant and grab a few of these bottles for myself.

Four Vines “The Heretic” from Paso Robles.