A little white for summer and some red because I can

Sorry for the lack of video of this post, but hopefully the pictures and me talking about the wine will help inspire a little exploration and some enjoyment on your part.

So, we start with the white. For anyone on the east coast, especially DC, then you experienced a March like we have not seen in some time. There has not been a March that I remember recently that has seen 80 degrees, and an 80 that was honestly the prefect day. The coats are being but away, and the summer clothing, tans, and for me, freckles, are coming out. It made you feel like a west coaster, with the addition of the Capital Building in the back ground.

Given the crazy, and amazing weather, it makes sense to start the night with a glass of white. Now, you know I love bubbles, but I thought that white would be the best way to ring in the summer. So I began with a small wine from Cotes de Gascogne, a region also known for cognac.

This wine is not a complicated wine. You will not drink this and be blown away by the layers of flavor and intricate qualities of it. And yet, is that what you want when the weather gets warm? Summer is about thinking about being outside and enjoy the company you keep, not about the subtile peach flavors in your wines. This blend of Uni Blanc and Colombard will certainly hep you check two wines of your "Century Club" list, but not a wine that screams complexity. If you are a Sauv Blanc lover, then you will be crazy over this wine. It is bright, fresh, and slightly fruit forward, without any crazy sugar or grassy tones. Just good, simple wine.

After cooling down with the Domaine de Pouy, it was time to enjoy something a little more cerebral. For that, I reached into the cellar for a 2004 Tenuta L'Illuminata Barolo. On the outset, this wine was like drinking a Sour Patch Kid without the sugar. There were super sour fruits, super light tannins, and extreme acids. But, I continued to drink the glass while I was writing this. I am glad I did. It opened like the promises of spring that the weather brought today. The fruits brightened into sweet fruit, the tannins gipped and let you know they were there, and the acids chilled out. It balanced in a way that made this glass of wine the perfect to end the night on a high note. It lulls you into relaxation and comfort, almost like snug blanket that you burrow in on a Sunday. 

Hopefully some more stimulating visuals soon, but until then...Happy Sipping!!!!!

Movia Puro

So, I found another video for you and this one is super cool, but also super wine geeky. Here is why I say this; it is a video of me opening a bottle of Movia Puro Rose, a sparkling with for Italy's Collio region (or Slovenia. The winery actually spans the boarder, of the two countries, so different wine lists will say different things about it....Confused yet?). Now, this doesn't sounds like a very special thing at first, but there is something about this wine that you have to understand; it must be opened under water. You read this right, underwater. Now, the reason this is a requirement is that there is still dead yeast in the bottle from the wine making process.

A note of context for you...WINE INFO ALERT! WINE INFO ALERT! If you are averse to reading actual wine information, then enjoy the video and I'll see you next posting. Otherwise, read on. When making sparkling wine in the traditional method (i.e. Champagne), there are two steps to fermentation. The first step is usually in steal tanks or wooden barrels, or some combination of both. That first fermentation is done to actually make the wine and produce alcohol (otherwise you would just have bubbly grape juice, great for our under age readers). After that fermentation is finished and the wine has seen the amount of oak to the wine makers liking, the wine maker will begin the second fermentation. Usually, this involves adding a little bit of sweet wine to their product, so that there will be some amount of sugar for the yeast to feast on. They then bottle the wine with new, living yeast, cap it, and allow the yeast to do its work. The bi-product of the yeast eating is not more alcohol, but gas, in the form of small, bright bubbles.

Now, most wine makers then do a process called disgorging, where they get the yeast cells out of the wine by either freezing the very top of the bottle, trapping the yeast cells in the ice and then releasing it, or by skillfully opening the bottle after the yeast cells have rested in the cap at the top. Either way, you are left with a yeast free bottle of bubbles to open and enjoy. However, in the Movia case, wine maker and sort of evil genius Ales Kristancic (no, he isn't Italian) has decided not to disgorge the bottles, leaving the yeast from the secondary fermentation in. He believes that this helps impart some of those deliciously yeasty flavors to the wine that we love in champagne, while also making the wine bone dry.

The opening under water is a way to free the yeast from the wine, thus allowing you to enjoy yeast free wine. The hardest part is the bottle slipping in your hand as you are trying to release the cork. Movia has designed a special tool to help with this and the tool much resembles a tire iron, so I opted for the easier, and perhaps more presentable method of my hand.

If you come across this wine, don't let the fear of opening it deter you. It is delicious and a super cool party trick. Hope you enjoy the video and happy sippin'.

Here is the link to Movia; make sure you translate it unless you know how to speak Slovenian.
Movia Wines

Sandrone "Valmaggiore" Nebbiolo

It is time for a Nebbiolo of  different kind. For those new to the grape, nebbiolo is mostly grown in the northwestern region of Piedmont. It is known as one of the "noble" grapes of Italy, mainly because of the amazing wines that are made from it in the subregions of Barolo and Barbaresco. These two wines are extremely sought after and normally also come with a hefty price tag. However, these are not the only regions to produce nebbiolo. The one today is from Alba.
Sandrone, who is also known for their Barolo (most notable being the Cannubi), makes this 100% nebbiolo and ages it in new oak. The "Valmaggiore" is the wine they produce to give people an idea of what their nebbiolo will be like from year to year. They don't age it quite as long as they do their Barolo, making this a much more approachable and drinkable wine right now. It is ripe with fruits like dark cherry and plumbs, has a great rustic quality on both the nose and palate (in other words, it does smell kind of like dirty, but in the best way possible), and the tannins to have some grip, making the wine slightly chewy. However, all of those things combine to make a very drinkable wine, with or without food. So if you have ever wondered what Barolo and Barbaresco are like, this would be a good introduction for you to see if it is something you like. Happy Sippin'!

A little taste of Italy

From a tasting done yesterday at Ripple:

Brunello and Sagrantino, two tastes of epic tradition in Italy. Now most people know about Brunello. It is one of the most lauded wines made in Tuscany, and for a good reason. It's elegance is unrivaled and the flavors as almost haunting. They typically have wonderful cherries and figs, mixed with earth and an amount of baking spices that feels almost like a chef put them there. The La Poderina exemplifies all of that.

One thing to know about it: the 2006 is heralded as on of the best vintages in recent memory because of the ability to drink now, or hold and drink later. This wine shows of all of the qualities of Brunello, but is also light enough that is can do without food and be a great sipping wine on its own. Below is the link for wine searcher about the wine:

La Poderina Brunello 06

And then, there was the Sagrantino. This in one of my favorite wines from one of my favorite regions. Sagrantino is one of the main grapes in Umbria's region of Montefalco. This region makes a lot of different wines, but red wise is known for two different ones: Rosso di Montefalco and Sagrantino di Montefalco. The Rosso is usually a blend involving Sangiovese and Sagrantino. Sagrantino on it's own is a hugely bold wine, with intense tannins, ripe fruits, and gritty earth. When blended with the softer Sangiovese, the fruits become lush, the finish velvety and soft, and the tannins are fare less intense. In other words, it makes the wine a lot easier to drink on its own.

The Colpetrone Sagrantino was a huge wine, perfect for the current cold weather in DC. It screams for food such as lamb and is perfect for a warm stew and a fire. If you like big wines that grab your attention, or want something interesting to set down for a while, this wine is the perfect one.

Here is the link for the Colpetrone 2007 from the tasting:

Colpetrone Sagrantino 2007