OTBN 13: A Night of Regret & Discovery

Although I was an avid and longtime reader of Dottie Gaiter and John Brecher’s weekly Wall Street Journal wine column, I never have participated in Open That Bottle Night (OTBN). Started in 2000, the event was created as an excuse to open a special wine that remains for whatever reason languishing in your cellar. I [...]

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Rachel Blanchard Rachel Hunter Rachel McAdams Rachel Nichols

A Photo Review of the 2012 Boston Wine Expo

I just got back from the 2012 Boston Wine Expo so I thought I'd post some pictures and thoughts for those who weren't there this year.

Compared to prior years the two big changes I noticed were the layout and the mix of vendors. Rather than long aisles of tables, vendors were situated in clusters. Intermingled within these clusters were lifestyle vendors and - in a welcome addition - more food than I've seen at prior Expos.

Where else to start off before noon on a Sunday but Chateauneuf-du-Pape? I don't recall seeing them last year but they seemed to be back with a concerted collective effort. I was pleasantly surprised to see them pouring wines from the highly anticipated (if young) 2010 vintage.

First taste was from one of my favorite producers: The 2010 Le Vieux Donjon Chateuneuf-du-Pape. They're one of the few wineries in Chateuneuf who retains a "One Estate, One Wine" model (rather than offering multiple bottlings at various price points. 75% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre, and 5% Cinsault. It was showing very well in its young with its signature round brambly flavors.

Next was the 2010 Pierre Usseglio mon Aieul Chateuneuf-du-Pape. Although their entry level bottling (which runs for around $30 retail) is a blend, the mon Aieul (around $100) is 100% Grenache and more tannic than the Donjon. I asked the rep from Alain Junguenet selections for his thoughts on '07, '09 and '10 CdP. He agreed that '07 was a big ripe vintage, that '09 was tighter and needs more time, and that '10 was a "balanced" vintage. I'm looking forward to these '10s coming to market.
Remember the interspersed food and lifestyle vendors I mentioned? Here's a display from Wilson Farm from Lexington, MA - a great place to visit if you're in the Boston area.
I'd recently read on 1WineDude.com about how people should stop hating on Pinotage. A few years back I was intrigued to try some Pinotage after reading that it commonly has coffee aromas and flavors. That sounded great to me but a few I tried had no such markers and instead smelled like quirky burnt rubber. This one did deliver the coffee though. Perhaps the name - Barista - was effective in subliminally programming me to expect some mocha.
Here's an interesting new wine - the 2010 The Show Pinot Noir from Chile. The Show has been a trusty ~$10 wine for many so I was intrigued to try a Pinot Noir with the same label. Not bad says this California Pinot Noir enthusiast. 85-88 for me as I give a barrel tasting-esque range given the expo format is hard to do critical tasting within.

Similar to prior years half the tables were manned by winemakers/owners and the other half had random people pouring who didn't know anything about the wines. I had a nice visit with the principals from Inman Family pouring their highly regarded Pinot Noir. I thought the 2007 Inman Family Thorn Ridge Ranch Russian River Valley Pinot Noir was quite nice. They say they're patient in releasing their wines (some 2010 CA Pinot Noirs are already hitting the market). I like the approach of releasing wines when they're showing their best - with a little age on them - but I understand the interest wineries have in selling through vintages and paying the bills.

Mixing things up a bit, we went over to a trade tasting at Morton's Seaport location hosted by Massachusetts-based Panther Distributing. They were pouring a diverse collection of wines from around the world. First up were wines from Sada Estate, poured by winemaker Davide Sada himself. An excellent 2010 Vermentino, an every day 2010 Integolo, and an elegant 2007 Carpoli Super Tuscan were highlights of the table.

A new producer for me, from Washington, was Bergevin Lane Vineyards. Their earthy, fruity Syrahs were impressive - especially the 2008 Bergevin Lane "The Princess" Syrah.

Oregon was also an area of emphasis at the Panther tasting. The 2008 Vista Hills Treehouse Pinot Noir was delightful and a bargain at just over $20 retail.

Another Oregon Pinot that impressed me was the 2008 Adea Deano's Pinot. Very nice around $30.
From there we went over to the Grand Cru Lounge which changed venues this year. Last year's Grand Cru Lounge was in a nice room with tons of windows, but the vendors were split up onto two levels and you had to go outside to get to the Lounge. This year it was accessible from the Seaport Hotel without going outside and the space was unified.

First stop: Winderlea pouring their 2009 Winderlea Legacy Dundee Hills Pinot Noir. Unique bottle shape, cool label, and a very nice wine. We got to talking and I mentioned I was a wine blogger. They're looking forward to the 2012 Wine Blogger's Conference coming to Portland this year. Me too!

An interesting addition to the Grand Cru Lounge I didn't notice last year was a table pouring a bunch of high end California wines. Darioush, Heitz, Cakebread - stuff like that. I tasted some 2008 Littorai Chardonnay that was gorgeous - clean and lemony yet rich. I've gotta track down some of their Pinot Noir.

The food in the Grand Cru Lounge was pretty good. Especially these Spicy Tuna Tartare "Ice Cream" Cones from Union Bar & Grill. Fantastic.
There were some nice red Burgs being poured. I tasted a few from Joseph Drouhin in the $40-$80 range. It's always interesting to hear 2009 red Burgundy described as being "really fruit forward". Compared to domestic Pinot Noir (especially California and even Oregon) even a thin domestic vintage offers way more fruit in my experience. It's tough to see the virtues of wines like these in a walk-around tasting I think, but this 2009 from Joseph Drouhin was quite nice at around $80:
I've wanted to try Merry Edwards' Pinot Noir for a long time and the 2009 Merry Edwards Klopp Ranch Pinot Noir ($57) was outstanding. Classic Russian River Pinot. The winery rep suggested that if I liked the Klopp I'd probably like the more affordable RRV appellation bottling at $42. They also make a Sonoma Coast Pinot that sells for $38.

Speaking of Pinot Noir, I was thrilled to see Trifecta pouring their 2008 Nyarady Family Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. I discovered Trifecta at last year's Grand Cru Lounge and loved their 2007 Pinot Noir. The 2008 follows beautifully in its footsteps.
Those familiar with Trifecta probably think of them primarily as a Cabernet Sauvignon producer. Their Cabs are fantastic (around $100). But I was pleased to learn they're giving Pinot Noir a go as well (around $50). Trifecta is owned by Massachusetts based Pablo and Lynanne Nyarady - two of the most delightful and interesting people I've met. Definitely check out their wines if you're looking for something special you may not have heard of before. They'll be pouring at the Nantucket Wine Festival and Newport Mansions Wine Festival as well this year.

What a nice day - capped with a Patriots win and a trip to the Super Bowl.

Question of the Day: Did you attend this year? If so, what did you notice?


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Arresting development: FBI charges Rudy K of counterfeiting fine wine

The FBI arrested the man known as Rudy Kurniawan at his home in Arcadia, California yesterday on charges of selling counterfeit wine. Inside the home, the authorities found materials used for making counterfeit wine bottles. They charged him with selling $1.3 million of fake wine but in 2006 alone, Kurniawan sold $33 million of wine [...]

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Marisa Tomei Marla Sokoloff Marley Shelton Mary Elizabeth Winstead

Honig Wine Dinner at Blue Ginger

Here's another one of those offers I feel is laser-targeted at me: Blue Ginger in Wellesley is hosting a dinner featuring Honig wines.

I say laser-targeted because I love Honig's wines and I love Blue Ginger.

Honig is a Napa producer of a freaking delicious Sauvignon Blanc, a Napa value benchmark Cabernet, and a spot-on higher end Cabernet bottling (Bartolucci). I enjoy the style of their wines year in and year out and they deliver value across everything they produce.

Blue Ginger is hands down our favorite restaurant in town. They always seem to deliver a good time whether you sit in the lounge, sit down for dinner, or attend a wine event.

Here's the lineup:

Honig Wine Dinner
Wednesday, February 29 at 6:30pm
Menu Degustation
Lemongrass-Fennel Oyster Stew, Fennel Crackers
Napa Valley, Sauvignon Blanc 2010
~~~
Foie Gras Wrapped Scallop, Roasted Pineapple Syrup
Napa Valley Rutherford Vineyard, Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2009
~~~
Pork Shank-Caramelized Shallot Dumplings
Shiitake-Ginger Mushroom Broth
Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
~~~
Roasted Five Peppercorn Beef Tenderloin
with Twice Stuffed Yukons
 Cabernet Sauvignon Demi and Thai Basil Oil
Napa Valley, St Helena, Bartolucci Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
~~~
Wasik's Cheese Course
~~~
Blue Ginger Dessert
Rutherford Napa Valley, Late Harvest, Sauvignon Blanc 2008
$125.00 inclusive of tax & gratuity 

To make a reservation: 781-283-5790 ex. 18
For more information: http://ming.com/blueginger/upcoming-events/honig-wine-dinner.htm

Here are my tasting notes on prior vintages of Honig wines:
  • 2009 Honig Sauvignon Blanc - USA, California, Napa Valley (8/15/2010)
    Oh my what a delicious wine. If you're looking for a wine to share with guests who don't usually drink wine I think you might find them guzzling this one with delight. And for guests that do drink wine, if they're not adverse to a little fruit-forward, slight sweetness to their wine I think they'd appreciate this one too.
    If we take Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc as the baseline for new world SB and subtract the edgy zingy pungent aromatics and replace it with new world tropical goodness- I think you have this wine.
    Depending on the mood you're it might suit you very well. (90 points)
  • 2007 Honig Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley (6/21/2010)
    This wine so completely aligns with the flavor profile I'm looking for in a Napa Cab- I love it. Ripe blackberries that fade into deliciously savory dusty tannins. The finish is a bit short but it tasted so good I didn't care. (93 points)
  • 2004 Honig Cabernet Sauvignon Bartolucci - USA, California, Napa Valley (3/16/2010)
    This was pretty darn good for my palate. Hard to say it was worth the money (the baseline Honig Cab is pretty good). But it didn't disappoint and I enjoyed it very much. (93 points)
Posted from CellarTracker

Further Reading:


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