Category Archives: Wine Reviews

Bodegas Toro Albala Don PX Gran Reserva with Osetra Caviar

May 13,2016

Sometimes you need a little dessert wine.

Here we have a 1986 vintage Pedro Ximinez from Bodegas Toro Albala in Montilla Moriles Spain with an average USD retail price of $56.

For this wine, select lots of Pedro Ximenez are selected, sealed in American oak barrels and aged for a minimum of 25 years before release.

This is a dark colored,opaque, sweet wine (350 grams of residual sugar). In the wine you can find raisins, molasses with flowery orange peel. On the finish there is some spice with its great acidity keeping the wine from being cloying. You may not be able to finish the bottle in one sitting but there will not be much left1986 Bodegas Toro Albala Don PX Gran Reserva Osetra Caviar for another day.

1986 Don PX Gran Reserva wine and Osetra caviar from Lady Elena Caviar? Yes

The creaminess of the Osetra caviar softens the sweetness of this intense sweet wine.The high acidity of the wine cleanses the palate.

Champagne Montaudon and Osetra

May 15,2016

Champagne Montaudon Brut NV

The champagne is a blend of 35% Pinot Noir, 25% Pinot Meunier, and 40% Chardonnay. The wine is given a dosage level of 8 g/l and is aged in the bottle for 3 years.

The champagne has a straw gold color with tiny bubbles. There are aromas of stony minerals, almonds, ripe berries with some soft citrus. On the palate there is a balance of fruit sweetness and nuttiness giving a roundness to it. The finish is dry with the sweet fruit notes continuing with some biscuit notes and the minerality. An easy drinking champagne.

Montaudon champagne and osetra caviar

Lady Elena Caviar and Champagne Pairing

O My Setra Caviar (Osetra): The mineral and creaminess of the Osetra caviar mixes nicely with the ripe berries and the nuttiness of the champagne and leaves a clean finish. A good Lady Elena Caviar and champagne pairing.

 

Champagne Barrat Masson Fleur de Craie NV and Osetra Caviar

May12, 2016

Champagne Barrat Masson is a small champagne house whose vineyards are located in Bethon. This is a commune in the Marne department of Champagne in northeastern France.

In 2010 they changed from a grower to a Champagne House with the 2011 harvest being their first harvest for their Champagne Barrat Masson.

Fleur de Craie NV ChampagneChampagne Barrat Masson Fleur de Craie with Osetra Caviar

This is 100% Chardonnay from the 2011 harvest with a dosage of 5 g/l. This is an exciting bottle since this is their first bottling since becoming their own champagne house.

Being 100% Chardonnay this is considered a Blanc de Blancs however they chose not to label it as such. The name translated as “the flower of the chalk” does describe the wines expression. These vines have an average age of 40 years an are planted in clay limestone soil. The champagne is made from the “couer” or the first press. The wine is aged on its lees for about 9 months and goes through partial maloactic fermentation. The wine is aged in the bottle for at least 24 months and at least 3 months after disgorging.

This champagne has  light straw color with those tiny streaming bubbles. On the aroma there is such freshness of nutty citrus with a touch of sweet brioche. On the palate, the minerality pleasantly makes it appearance with the balanced wine. The finish is lively with slight brioche and citrus laced with the minerality of the wine.

Lady Elena Caviar and Champagne Pairing

O My Setra Caviar (Osetra): This is a great pairing. The minerality and the liveliness of the champagne balances the creaminess of the Osetra caviar. The palate is cleansed with some floral orange blossoms lingering.

 

 

Champagne Barrat Masson and Caviar

May 11,2016

Champagne Barrat Masson is a small champagne house whose vineyards are located in Bethon. This is a commune in the Marne department of Champagne in northeastern France. They began as a small grower who farmed and then sold their grapes. In 2005 they decided to convert to organic farming. They have over 7 hectares of 40 year old vineyards (90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir) located in Bethon in Villenaux-la-Grande on the slopes of the Sézanne.

From these vineyards they produce three champagnes: fleur de craie (Extra brut 100% Chardonnay), Des Margannes (Brut Nature 100% Chardonnay) and Grain d’argile (Extra brut blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay).

In 2010 they changed from a grower to a Champagne House with the 2011 harvest being their first harvest for their Champagne Barrat Masson. We have the husband and wife owners Loic (wine maker) and Aurélie (oenologist) to thank for these great champagnes.

Aurélie vinifies each plot separately allowing the wines to express their terroir. She uses a traditional Coquard press. For Aurélie, this produces a better quality must.

In the next post we will taste their Fleur de Craie champagne with some caviar.

Champagne Barrat-Masson Coquard Wine Press

Champagne Barrat-Masson Coquard Wine Press

Champagne Barrat-Masson Coquard wine press at work

Champagne Barrat-Masson Coquard wine press at work

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.

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