Category Archives: News

Champagne Pierre Moncuit Blanc de Blancs and White Sturgeon Caviar

April 11,2016

Champagne Pierre Moncuit is located in the Côtes des Blancs village of Le Mesnil sur Oger. As a small grower it is a family business. The Pierre’s daughter, Nicole Moncuit, is the viticulturist as well s the wine maker and the son, Yves,manages the sales and marketing side of the business.

The family owns fifteen of the twenty hectares of vineyards with the fifteen that they own being Grand Cru vineyards in Le Mesnil sur Oger and five hectares in the southern village of Sézzane.

BackgroundPierre Moncuit Blanc des Blancs Gran Cru White Sturgeon Caviar pairing

It is important for the wines to show the expression of the terroir. Each champagne is produced from a single years harvest with no reserve wines being blended. The grapes from the two villages are not combined except for in the production of the Rosé. They are all vinified in stainless steel tanks, undergo maloactic fermentation and are aged 24 to 36 months before release.

This champagne is all chardonnay and is from the 2012 harvest. The champagne has a pale gold color with fine bubbles. There are aromas of mineral coated green apples and citrus.On the palate it is minerally with tightly knitted green apples, citrus and a touch of pear skin. It finishes with a little sweet yeasty citrus note.

Lady Elena Caviar and Champagne Pairing

Americana Caviar (White Sturgeon): The enjoyment of the champagne persists as the palate is cleansed. A good Lady Elena Caviar pairing.

 

 

2009 Lilbert Fils Champagne Blanc de Blancs and White Sturgeon Caviar

March 18,2016

2009 Lilbert Fils Champagne Blanc de Blancs

Today we are pairing this champagne with Americana Caviar (White Sturgeon) from Lady Elena Caviar.

Background 

The Lilbert Fils estate is located in the village of Cramant. Their 8.6 hectares of vineyards, located on tuffeau and chalk soils, are all Grand Cru and only Chardonnay grapes are grown. 60% of their vineyards are located in Cramant,, 30% in Chouilly, and 10% in Oiry on the Cote des Blancs. The vinification is all in stainless steel vats and undergo maloactic fermentation.

This champagne is 100% Chardonnay from Cramant with. a dosage of 5 g/l The wine ages between four and a half to five years before being released.

The champagne has a pale gold color with tiny streaming bubbles. There are floral aromas of orange blossoms, green apple with some anise. On the palate, the minerality shows itself in this well integrated wine. The dry finish has the orange blossoms and green apples with a touch of toasty brioche.

Lady Elena Caviar and Champagne Pairing Lilbert Fils Champagne and Lady Elena Caviar PairingAmericana Caviar (White Sturgeon): The caviar softens the green apple flavors as the champagne cleanses the palate. A good Lady Elena Caviar pairing.

2004 Taittinger Comptes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs and Osetra Caviar

March 4,2016

Today we are pairing this champagne with O My Setra Caviar (Osetra) from Lady Elena Caviar. 2004 Taittinger Comptes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs with Osetra caviar

The champagne is 100% of the Chardonnay grape. The grapes grown in the top vineyards of the Côte des Blancs. Only the first press juice is used.  5% of the blend spends three to four months in new oak barrels, enhancing complexity of the final blend. Prior to disgorgement, the Blanc de Blancs is aged for 10 years on the lees in 13th-century chalk cellars that were once the property of Saint Nicaise abbey.

The champagne has a pale gold color with greenish tints along with its tiny streaming bubbles. There are aromas of lemon curd,fresh toasted biscuits, red apples with a smoky stony minerality. On the palate it is tense with creamy softness. There is some sweet citrus combined with some salty minerality lingering on the palate. The finish is dry an slightly mouth watering. This champagne is still very youthful.

Lady Elena Caviar Pairing

O My Setra Caviar (Osetra): This pairing brings out the nuttiness of the caviar and then the palate is left cleansed. A great pairing.

Librandi Ciro Bianco DOC

February 26,2016

2014 Librandi Ciro Bianco DOC

Background

Librandi is located in the Ciro DOC zone of Calabria which is at the toe of 2014 Librandi Ciro Bianco Calabriathe boot in southwest Italy. The region of Basilicatato lies to the north and the Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas are on its sides.

The vineyards are planted in limestone and clay loam. The wine is fermented and aged in medium to large stainless steel tanks.

Wine Description

This wine is made from 100% Greco grape variety. The wine has  straw color with green tints. There are are aromas of peaches with undertones of herbs. On the palate it is medium bodied with some soft minerality. The wine finishes with some spiciness and citrus and is generous in its acidity. An easy drinking wine. Pairs nicely with seafood dishes.

 

Greco Bianco Grape

 

 

 

Statti Mantonico IGT

February 25, 2016

2014 Statti Mantonico IGT

Background

The Statti winery is located in Lamezia Terme, Calabria. The grape vines 2014 Statti Mantonicoare grown in medium textured clay soil with organic matter.

Wine Description

The wine is made from 100% Mantonico Bianco grape variety and is fermented in 30 hl Acacia barrels. The wine has a pale gold color with green tints. There are aromas of almonds and pears. On the palate the wine is medium bodied, minerally soft with some pear and almond. The finish is refreshing.

Tomaresca Masseria Maime

Tomaresca Masseria Maime Negroamaro

MyFavoriteWineIs.com

February 22, 2016

Masseria Maime Estate is located in the heart of Apulia Masseria Maime in upper Salento. The estate extends along the Adriatic coast and covers an area of about 500 hectares. Of the 500 hectares 350 are planted with vines.
The Salento peninsula enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate with mild winters and long, hot, dry summers favored by its geographical location and direct contact with the Adriatic Sea.

The wine we are tasting:             2012 Tormaresca Masseria Maime IGT. This wine is made from 100% Negroamaro grape. Fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks. It then spent 12 months in French and Hungarian oak barrels. It further aged 18 months in bottle prior to release.

The wine has a dark ruby color. There are aromas of  violets and fresh cherries. On the palate it is smooth with notes of sweet oak and anise. It has a full body feel to it. The finish has smooth  tannins with a medium length. Very enjoyable and slightly youthful.

Ferghettina Franciacorta Extra Brut and White Sturgeon Caviar

February 20, 2016

Ferghettina is located in Franciacorta at the foot of the Alps along side the Sebino Lake.

The annual production is about 350,000 bottles which includes 4 types of Franciacorta DOCG Brut, Saten, Extra Brut and Rosé and three still wines a Curtefranca Red, White and a Curtefranca IGT Sebino.

We are tasting the Ferghettina Franciacorta Extra Brut 2009.Ferghettina Franciacorta Extra Brut 2009Background – The wine is a blend of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir with the base being from 2009. The vines are between 15 to 65 years old and are planted on calcareous soil.  Each vineyard’s grapes are separately fermented in 100% stainless steel tanks before blending. Once bottled the wine will age on its lees for at least 72 months.

Tasting – The wine has a golden yellow color. There are aromas of bread yeast and sweet green apples. On the palate there is a softness, nuttiness and a structured mouth feel. The finish is dry with slight chalk notes.

This Franciacorta is on the Waiting List to be tasted with Osetra caviar from Lady Elena Caviar.com

 

 

 

Lo Sparviere Dosaggio Zero Riserva Franciacorta and Osetra Caviar

February 19, 2016

Azienda Lo Sparviere is located in the province of Brescia in Lombardy,AWARDSwhere they have 25 hectares planted with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The  soils for this vineyard is calcareous with red clay and silt. They produce Franciacorta DOCG in the full range of Franciacorta styles- Brut, Extra Brut, Dosaggio Zero, Satèn, and Rosé.

We are tasting  the:Lo Sparviere Dosaggio Zero Riserva Franciacorta with a 2008 base wine

This wine is made from 100% Chardonnay from mostly 2008. Wines from the the two or three preceding years are blended in.  60% of the wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks with the remaining 40% fermented in Barriques and Tonneaux. The wine ages sur lie for 72 months.Lo Sparviere dosaggio Zero Riserva Franciacorta

The wine has a straw golden color and small bubbles. There are aromas of peach, soft minerality with some sweet caramel. On the palate it is dry with some nuttiness. The finish is dry with slight chalk notes and a touch of the caramel coated peach. Refreshing.

 

This Franiciacorta is on the Waiting List to be tasted with Osetra caviar from Lady Elena Caviar.com

 

 

2016 Union Des Grands Crus De Bordeaux

January 29, 2016

Tasting through the 2013 Vintage 2016 UGC Bordeaux Tasting Book

With so many wines and so little time I was still able to to a good tasting selection for this post. See below for my Top 4 White and Top 4 Red Best Wines of the tasting.

It was generally obvious that the difficult year that was handed to the Bordeaux Chateaus produced many wines that were light boded, fruit deficient, and lacked the expected depth of a Bordeaux wine amongst the reds.

The Bordeaux white wines were all good to great.

 

Here are my top 4 White and 4 Red wines from this tasting.

2013 White Bordeaux Wines

1) Chateau Fieuzal

2) Chateau Carbonnieux

3) Chateau Larrivet Haut-Brion

4) Chateau Doisy Daéne

2013 Red Bordeaux Wines

1) Chateau Langoa Barton

2) Chateau Rauzan-Segla

3) Chateau Troplong Mondot

4)Chateau La Dominique

2016 Union Des Grands Crus De Bordeaux NYC -A View from Behind the Table

January 28, 2016

From the Other Side of the Table

For an afternoon, I was a Bordeaux representative pouring the 2013 vintage.Behind the table with Chateau Fieuzal wine

It was an exciting opportunity to help the members of the Union Des Grands Crus De Bordeaux (UGC). The blizzard detained or just prevented some Chataeau representatives from attending the tasting in New York.

I filled in for two Chateaus. First was Chateau Fieuzal from Pessac Leognan region. Chateau Fieuzal produces a red and a white but is more known for their white wine. I had the opportunity of pouring it to just a few appreciative white Bordeaux wine guests. Bordeaux whites are generally not understood and appreciated. They are a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. The Château rep came shortly and I moved on to the St. Emilion region and poured Chateau La Dominique. Here they only produce a red Bordeaux blend. The 2013 Behind the table with La Dominique wineblend was 85% Merlot 12% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. I spent almost the rest of the afternoon pouring the 4 bottles given to me. I was located next to the Chateau rep from Chateau Troplong Mondot. After having some quality time in talking with her, I saw the view from both sides of the table at once. Then as I poured, I saw my viewpoint as the taster/evaluator and that of the proud producer. It made me appreciate more of this 2013 vintage that I was pouring.

If there was a group of words that was just as common as the red wine stains on the tablecloths, it was the words “it was a difficult year”. This was the answer that my neighbor gave to the question “How is your 2013 vintage?” Later I also heard these same words from many of the Chateau reps.

They were not happy about it. But they are farmers first and wine makers second. They were given a slow start with a cold and very rainy spring. Summer was good but still not warm enough to help the grapes catch up from the slow start. A rainy September continued to make it a difficult year. Merlot, being a predominately early ripening grape variety, came to an acceptable ripeness level on the Left Bank.

Bordeaux has such a high benchmark that a year like 2013 made the wine taste worse then they actually did taste. Putting aside the great vintages of 2005, 2009 and 2010 this 2013 vintage did not even meet the Bordeaux  description of “Classic”. Therefore, I like to use the term “off year”.

I also saw a lack of enthusiasm with the tasters. The Château reps knew what they had in the bottle and knew that they made their best wine from what was given to them. Not every vintage can be a great one, so those non great vintages give us the opportunity to drink and enjoy the wine today. The 2005’s are still too young to truly enjoy what it has to offer. Now we can add the 2013 vintage to the drink today list.

The Chateaus are most likely going to have a difficult time in selling their entire 2013 vintage as soon as they would like to but it is still Bordeaux wine. It will be sold.

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