eno's weekly eno file

[eno]

A while back, scungili recommended a Spanish Garnacha which I finally tried this past weekend:

2007 Bodegas Ateca "Atteca" Garnacha; $13.99 at Famous Liquors, 105 E. Roosevelt Rd. Lombard:
Really a nice wine! Dark, purple color (opaque); boisterous, berry perfume which jumps out of the glass; full body & juicy, with lots of tongue-coating, blueberry flavor, decent acidity, and just a hint of dry tannins to clean the mouth & stand up to food. I had this with a boned leg of lamb, and it really matched nicely for such a blowsy wine. Made from 100% old-vines "Garnacha" (Grenache) which is the principal grape used to make the great Chateuneuf du Pape of the Southern Rhone; this wine comes from the Catalayud region of Spain.

Thanks for the tip, Scungili!

Along with the Ateca "Atteca" I (my wife and kids helped, too) had a slightly older "Garnacha" from the Montsant region of Spain:

2004 La Cova del Vins "Ombra" Montsant; $15.99 at Binny's, 1132 S. Jefferson, Chicago:
Noticeably lighter color than the Ateca: lovely, translucent, ruby red; I decanted this wine (2 hours before serving) because it reminds me of the traditional reds of Europe (dry when young, but now,with a bit of bottle age: perfumed smell, betraying a bit of sweetness/richness in flavor, with an earthy, long after-taste that goes so well with food). Medium/full-body, this wine is drinking very well right now.



eno

[scungili]

from eno ... for such a blowsy wine.

hee hee ... ya mean this isn't the wine to take home to mother?

Glad ya liked it!

I enjoy wines like this ... easy to drink on it's own, fruity but not sweet, velvety "tongue-coating" mouthfeel, and layered enough that it compliments the right dish.

[n01_important]

How about Concha y Toro Carmenère.

The wine came from France but was wiped out during one of their infestations.  Before that it was imported to Chile and forgotten about.  People thought it was a dervitive of Merlot until some lady came down to study grape wines in Chile and re-discovered Carmenère.

Wine is a little fruity and smoother than Merlot.  Great with pizza.

You can try the Concha y Tora's Frontera mark which is the least expensive.  I've seen it in Trader Joes and Tony's Supermarket - 1.5 L for < $10.

You can also try non-Concha y Tora Cermerère at Berwyn Rt 66 but it will probably run you $12 for 750 ml.

Eno, how about some recommendation from local places.  I can't be going to Lomard for a bottle of vino.

[eno]

no1:

Carménère is an interesting grape; before phylloxera wiped out the great vineyards of Bordeaux (and then most of Eurpope) in the mid-1800's, it was one of the grapes grown in that region (along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot).

Here's some local wine shops:

"The Cork" 2720 Harlem Ave., Riverside (on N/W corner of Riveside Dr./Longcommon & Harlem, in that little strip mall that has the Chinese restaurant and beauty shop). My man, Issa (a character and good guy) will pour you some wines to taste and help you make a good selection; last time I was there, he was pouring a Carménère. Issa's also happy to special-order items for you. There's a selection of beer, spirits, and cigars, as well.

"Famous Liquors" 7714 W. Madison St., Forest Park. Large selection of wines, with good pricing. Speak to either Jim Buckley or Barry Russell and they'll steer you right. They have tastings there on Saturdays from 12-4 (approx.) and I believe on Fridays (after 3:30). Good selection of beer.

"Binny's" 7330 W. North Ave., Elmwood Park. Although a little more out of the way, they have a large selection of well-priced wines and a good selection of beer.

"House Red" 7403 W. Madison St., Forest Park (right in the center of the Forest Park shopping/bar district). Smaller, but well-chosen selection of wines from all over the world.

There's also a "Famous Liquors" store at 7533 W. Roosevelt Rd., Forest Park. Although there is a small selection of the value-priced wines, I tend to stick to the beer; I've had some bad experiences with faulty wines from here in the past, though I've been luckier recently.

*N.B. The two Famous liquors stores in Forest Park are affiliated with each other, but not with the one in Lombard; the Forest Park stores are part of the "Wine Discount Center" group of Chicagoland stores.

eno

[Classof67]

Dear Eno:

I hate those plastic corks some wineries use.  Any suggestion on getting those out of the bottle?  The two prong I use starts to twist because there is no give with those plastic corks.  I wish they had to disclose on the back of the label if it is a plstic cork.

Thanks

Class...

[eno]

Class:

With plastic corks, don't use this:


use one of these:


They are sometimes referred to as a "waiter's helper" or a "waiter's cork-screw" and run about $4-6. Once you get used to using one (especially the lever, which takes a bit of practice) it is by far the best way to remove any kind of "cork" (plastic or real). Make sure the tip of the worm is sharp/pointy, as the biggest problem I have with plastic corks is that they can be pushed into the bottle when inserting the screw, if you have to push too hard.

The "two-prong" or "Ah-So" is especially useful when you're opening a very old wine with a dried, crumbly cork, which sticks to the side of the neck; It has saved me many times, when my regular cork-screw has merely removed the interior, dried, dusty part of the old cork.

eno

[Classof67]

Thank you for your expertise!  It is appreciated.  I think I'm going to go look for one of those old reds!

[ScimmiaCattiva]

Ciao eno, come stai bellissimo?

[eno]

My new wine guru: Sadat X!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL5NaAkAv7k

Happy New Year!

eno

[~LL~]

Fab-a-luss. Juss fab-a-luss!  So, let us now list our fav imbibements and their corresponding FUF.
I'll start with:  Green Lizard (mixed drink).  FUF = 102  (BTF wizards - how do I write 10 squared?)

[Rt. 66]

Use the button, above (when posting).

10²

[billyjean]

My new wine guru: Sadat X!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL5NaAkAv7k

Happy New Year!

eno

eno, to be honest, I did want to go out and get that wine he was touting.  He looked happy to me.  He looked like he was enjoying it.  His Italian is pretty good too ... lol

Happy New Year back at ya and to all.

[eno]

billyjean:

I love Sadat X's joy & enthusiasm as well!

As for his Italian, he spent some time in Italy performing in 2008 and seems to have a lot of affection for "the boot" and her people & wines; I believe the affection is reciprocal.

eno

[eno]

I wanted to post a tasting note/recommendation because of the "QPR" (quality-price-ratio) of a wine my brother-in-law served us over the holidays:

2005 Montecillo Crianza (Rioja)/Spain; approx. $10 at Binny's/bottle.


The wine was served blind with a great, herb-crusted rack of lamb & oven-roasted taters (rosemary & garlic); I thought it might be a really nice Bordeaux (i.e. >$35) but I guessed wrong. This Rioja had a deep red color (just a bit lighter than a Cabernet/Bordeaux, which should have tipped me off) a lovely bouquet of cherries, smoke, earth (wet-leaves?) and a dry, medium bodied flavor that was both fruity and tannic. It really went well with food, esp. the lamb!

The main grape in the Rioja is "Tempranillo" which produces beautiful red wines with a Bordeaux-like profile (i.e. elegant, great with food, and  improves with bottle age). If you like Bordeaux, Merlot, California Cabernet, Chianti, you should treat yourselves to a good Rioja, and this inexpensive, widely available wine is a nice place to start. 

Happy New Year!

eno

...and to my friend watcher: a very, very Happy Two Friedmans!

[eno]

Another reasonably-priced red:

Monte Antico (Tuscan Red) 2006:



This is really an excellent wine for the price; no cork/instead, a screw-cap.

A blend of the local, autoctonous Sangiovese @ about 80% (the juicy, mainstay of Chianti) with about 10% Cabernet Sauvignon & 10% Merlot. Medium/dark ruby-red color; rich, ripe cherry aromas, and a fairly, full-bodied, chewy, but elegant flavor. With air, the wine gets "smoove" and opens up. As with almost all Italian reds, this wine really shines with food (a rare steak, roasted/grilled chicken, or a nice plate of pasta with tomato/meat sauce). Open it up a few hours before dinner, and even decant it, if you like; this is a Super-Tuscan at a Berwynite price-point.

So, at $9.89/bottle (Famous Liquors, Forest Park) it is an excellent value! You could age this in the basement a few years and I believe it would get even tastier; 2006 was a great year in Tuscany.

[eno]

A "Heads-Up!" on a good bargain:

La Prendina, Pinot Grigio 2007


"Famous Liquors" on Madison St., Forest Park has a close-out special on this @ $4.99/bottle. I grabbed a bottle to check it out; bear in mind, times are hard & the new vintage (2008) is about to come in.

This is a nice bottle of wine, with a medium, yellow color; honey, ripe melon aroma; medium-body, textured dry flavor, with just enough crispness to go it alone or with food: chicken, fish, pork, appetizers, or vegetables.

I saw about five cases of this stacked up towards the back of the store near the beer-cooler/cheese/deli area.

eno  

[eno]

I was too tired to head for the wine-shop after work, so I stuck with "The Jewel". Among all of the mediocre, cheap flasks, I found this little gem on sale (with the "Jewel Preferred Card") for $7.99/bottle:

2009 Big House White

Produced from grapes (Malvasia Bianca, Muscat Canelli, Viognier and Roussanne) grown in California's Central Coast. Yellow color; slightly aromatic and fresh smell (my buzz-words were: hazelnut, lemon, ripe pineapple). There's a nice texture & weight to the taste (with ripe citrus acidity to give it lift) and thankfully, no oak!      

A very nice wine at a good price and good with or without food.

eno

P.S. I also tried the 2008 Big House Red which was good (and also @ $7.99) though not as recommendable as the white, but still a good bet at the "Jewel/Osco".

[rbain]

Eno,
What ideas have you got in the way of wines not currently thought of as "drinking" wines that are under appreciated- i.e. I know there's some very good vermouth being made now in CA, and vermouth used to be drunk on it's own (maybe iced? I don't remember) or Marsala- I know I've grown more and more fond of the incredible Sherries now available (like from Solera Lustau)- I feel like there must be some hidden gems out there that people have forgotten about outside some small region where it is produced- I'm thinking mostly of fortified wines, I guess. There's still a small market for good Madiera, but it's pretty damn expensive.
Rob

[eno]

Rob:

I love the Lustau Sherries as well! You get outstanding quality at good prices.

My preferences run to the bone dry "fino" and "Manzanilla" Sherries (which are at or less than $10/bottle and widely available); I also like the "Tio Pepe Fino." These dry Sherries have light color, a salty, olive-like complexity and are excellent as aperitifs or with food (esp. Tapas).

My wife prefers the dessert-style wines which has exposed me to the rich "Oloroso" and sweeter "Cream" Sherries (which are still a bargain at around $20 or even less/bottle).

If you love sweet, rich, thick dessert wines, it's difficult to beat Australia for the combination of superb quality and excellent value! My favorites are the "Yalumba Museum Reserve Muscat" (a mind-blowing treat...dessert in a bottle at about $16/half-bottle) and the "R.L. Buller Fine Tokay" as well as the "Fine Muscat" (each at about $13/half-bottle).

One of my favorite desserts is a recipe my Mom learned from her land-lord when she and my Dad lived in La Rochelle, France in the early 1950's: halved avocados (pit removed) and then fill the cavity with Cognac and sugar (letting the booze soak into the avocado at least three-four hours as it sits in the fridge, and refill as needed). I now replace the Cognac with much cheaper Cream Sherry, and use less sugar; the result is much better!

Rob, glad to see you back; it sounds like you might have some tasting notes of your own on eclectic, under-appreciated wines (which I hope you'll share). I'd also be interested in learning more about that California Vermouth.

[n01_important]

A "Heads-Up!" on a good bargain:

La Prendina, Pinot Grigio 2007


"Famous Liquors" on Madison St., Forest Park has a close-out special on this @ $4.99/bottle. I grabbed a bottle to check it out; bear in mind, times are hard & the new vintage (2008) is about to come in.

This is a nice bottle of wine, with a medium, yellow color; honey, ripe melon aroma; medium-body, textured dry flavor, with just enough crispness to go it alone or with food: chicken, fish, pork, appetizers, or vegetables.

I saw about five cases of this stacked up towards the back of the store near the beer-cooler/cheese/deli area.

eno  

Thanks @ $5, I'm tempted to buy a case!   

I haven't found a Pinot G that I ever liked (not that I went out of my way to try many) but I'll give it a try.

Thanks for the Rx.