Sherry Tasting Dinner

The other night I had an occasion to join Sherry tasting dinner.

Sherry is a fortified wine from Jerez, Spain.
Sherry wines are matured in a system called solera system, and undergo biological or oxidative ageing.

In biological ageing, wines are fortified to around 15% abv. At this alcohol level, a layer of yeast called flor is developed on the surface. Flor protects wine from air and also gives distinctive bready quality.
Fino and Manzanilla are made this way.

In oxidative ageing, wines are fortified to 17% abv which prevents the development of flor.
Oloroso sherry goes through oxidative ageing and has flavors of roasted nut, coffee or meat as a result of oxidation.

Amontillado undergoes oxidative ageing after biological ageing.

La Guita Manzanilla
Dried white fruit and fresh grass.
This wine had an impression of more freshness than tanginess or saltiness which is distinct flavor of Fino or Manzanilla.

We had this wine paired with Gildas (classic Basque Pintxo: Boqueron anchovy, Piparra pepper and olive).

Hidalgo el Tresillo Amontillado
Sultana and biscuit. There was freshness, almost like pyrazine.

This wine was paired with Embutidos (mixed plate with Spanish cheese, meats and nuts) and ratatouille.
















Hidalgo Villapanes Oloroso
Sweet baking spice, raisin, nut and coffee.

The pairing was with Carillada de Cerdo (pork stew) with Alubia Granja Beans.
Delicious stew from grandma's recipe.

Morenita Cream
Dried fruit, citrus peel and coffee. Not too sweet.

We had this with Dates stuffed with Goat Cheese and Walnuts.

Hidalgo Pedro Ximenez
Cherry, prune, raisin and coffee. There were dried fruit quality and freshness at the same time.

Pouring this on top of vanilla bean ice cream. Delicious.

Good wines and good pairing.
Sherry is not necessarily my favorite type of wine therefore I don't drink them often, so an event like this gives me a chance to open my eyes to something I am prejudiced otherwise.

Christmas Yuzu Project

Yuzu project still continues, even on Christmas day...baking a Christmas Cake with yuzu!

Of course it's better to bake a cake in advance, but I don't have a patience to wait to eat the cake until Christmas day.

Recipe is from, again, "Yuzu" by Shigeko Nakamura.

First, bake sponge cake.
Beat egg white until it becomes meringue.
Mix egg yolk and sugar, meringue and almond powder.
There is no flour used for this cake.

Bake it on a sheet pan.
Spread yuzu jam and yuzu cream on top of it when it cools down. Roll it.

Wrap with prastic wrap and keep in a fridge.

Wait for a while... and this year's Christmas cake!

It was a little too sweet... maybe because I used yuzu jam (original recipe uses yuzu syrup, not jam).
However, the sweetness and yuzu's sourness matched well and it was delicious!

Yuzu

It's been years since I planted a yuzu tree in the back yard.
Probably because I don't know how to trim the tree in a right way, the harvest could be good or disaster depending on the year.

This year, the yuzu tree brought us a good harvest.
The next task is to figure out how to use up all the fruits.

Yuzu cookies.
Flaky ice box cookies with yuzu zest and juice inside.

Preserved Kombu and yuzu
The recipe is from a book "Yuzu" by Shigeko Nakamura.
Re-using leftover kombu after making dashi: cooking them with sake, mirin, shoyu, and yuzu skin and juice.

Yuzu Carbonara.
This recipe is also from the book "Yuzu."
Pasta was boiled with a slice of yuzu.

When the last yuzu becomes ripe, I'm planning to make marmalade but there are still more yuzu than I need for the marmalade, so I used some yuzu for cleaning.

Citrus skin contains some kind of oil which has cleansing ability.
I just cut the fruit into half and scrubbed kitchen sink and bathtub.
The place became not only clean, but also fragrant!   

Christmas cocktail at P.C.H

During the holiday season, Union Square in downtown San Francisco is decorated with big Christmas tree and cheerful illuminations of nearby buildings.
I'm not Christian but appreciate the festive feel.

To savor this festive feel fully, we went to P.C.H, a bar run by the talented bartender Kevin Diedrich.
The bar opens at 5:00. We got there at 5:10 and the place was already packed!

Inside the bar was already Christmas and the cocktail menu was Christmas special too.

I ordered Jingle Ball Nog, which is Egg Nog P.C.H. version.
Green color is probably because of Pandan (plant used for cooking in southeast Asia).

JC ordered Yuppie Ki Yay Mother Fxxxxr!
Rum based cocktail.

The seasonal special products could sometimes become unbalanced because of the limited conditions, but these cocktails were well-balanced, fun yet sophisticated.
There were 10 Christmas special cocktails, and I wish I could have tried all of them!

Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir 2016

Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County 2016

Au Bon Climat is a winery in Santa Barbara, California, which is known for its classic style wine from Burgundian varieties. Moderate climate of coastal Santa Maria Valley is suitable for these varieties.

Founding owner Jim Clendenen was born in Ohio. He studied law at university but his life changed during the stay in France. After working at wineries in several countries, he launched a winery with his partner in 1982.

Cherry blossoms, hibiscus, fresh raspberry, cherry and cranberry.
High acid and low tannin.
Alcohol is 13.5% but didn't feel that high. Wine was well balanced.
Good wine, especially for it price (under $20)!

We had this wine with sauteed shrimp on top of couscous.
Couscous was flavored with brown butter and preserved lemon, and went good with the wine.

Austrian and German Wine Tasting at Solano Cellars

It is good to have a neighbourhood wine shop who offer tasting events.
Especially if it is a rare tasting like Austrian and German wine, I would definitely be there on time!

Three Austrian wines and four German wines.
All wines are available from Skurnik Imports.

Brundlmayer Extra Brut NV Kamptal, Austria
This was my first Austrian sparkling wine!
Made with Chardonnay, Riesling and Gruner Veltliner. Traditional method.
Fresh apple, grapefruit and biscuits. Refreshing high acid.
Bubbles are fine.

Hirsch Gruner Veltliner 2015 Kamptal, Austria
Bruised apple and decayed citrus flower.
By itself, refreshing wine. With food, there was a little bitterness (in a good way).

Nikolaihof Gruner Veltliner 2010 Wachau, Austria
Nikolaihoh is the first winery to perform biodynamic farming in Austria.
Banana, banana skin and mango. Sweet aromas of nectar.
Good wine with depth.

Muller-Catoir MC Scheurebe 2016 Pfaltz, Germany
Scheurebe is an aromatic white grape variety which is a crossing of Riesling and Silvaner.
Citrus and citrus zest. There was also some smokiness.

J & H Selbach Riesling Spatlese 2016 Saar, Germany
Ginger, cream and candied orange.
Simple and easy to drink, in a good way.

Donnhoff Kreuznacher Kabinett 2016 Nahe Germany
Orange, apricot, apple skin and petrol.
Acid was high but soft.

Hexamer Riesling Spatlese 2016 Nahe, Germany
Grapefruit skin, decayed flower and smokiness.
Acidity dominates.

It was a good experience to have Gruner Veltliner 2015 and 2010 side by side.
They were really different.
G.V. is not as popular as other varieties such as Riesling or Chardonnay, but I recently had many occasions to try G.V. and they were really good.
Variety worth exploring.

Lebanese Wine Day

Tasting at Lebanese Wine Day.

Wines of Lebanon are not that popular (yet), but this country has long wine making history.
Wine making in Lebanon was introduced by Phoenicians sometime between 1500 B.C. and 300 B.C.
Their wines were widely exported to Venice in the Middle Ages, and even during the time of Ottoman Empire, Christian monks kept making wine.
Lebanese wine shows French influence and many of them are made with varieties common in Bordeaux or southern France.

Mountain ranges play a significant role for wine making condition. The Mediterranean Sea creates moderating effect, but altitudes give more influence. It calms down the temperature and makes wine making possible at this latitude.
The major wine making region is Bekaa Valley. Low in water and nutrients, vines are planted in low density.

Domaine des Tourelles from Bekaa Valley.
It's the oldest commercial winery in Lebanon, and is resurging with enthusiastic winemaker.
Syrah du Liban 2011 was aromatic. Flower, watermelon and some meatiness.
Their wines were all good.

Cave du Monastere St. Jean was established in 1720. Probably the oldest winery in Lebanon.
Cuvee Zakher 2013 had fresh tea and apple skin. Food friendly.
2014 had red fruit and dried fruit. Texture was soft.

Chateau Barka was established in 2009.
Chateau 2012 had ripe fruit (not jammy), spice, tea and coffee.

Chateau Belle-Vue makes wine with dry-farmed grapes from organic vineyards.
Somebody called their wine "Better than Bordeaux!"
La Renaissance 2009 is made with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Citrus flower, red fruit, mint and spice. Strong tannin.
Le Chateau 2008 is a red blend of Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Flower and fruit. Gripping tannin.

Chateau Kefraya was established in 1979 in West Bekaa.
Les Coteaux 2013 is a red blend of Syrah, Marselan (cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache) and Cabernet Franc.
Red and pink fruit and coffee. Freshness of green tea.
Blanc de Blancs 2015 had fresh green fruit and acacia.
Myst 2015 is rose wine comes with sleek bottle. Fresh cherry and slight tannin.
Comte de M 2010 had spice and fresh, dark fruit. High tannin and long finish.

Chateau Musar
In a class of its own.
From white wine made with indigenous grapes with savory notes to affordable Musar Jeune to gorgeous Chateau Musar. Every wine was impeccable in each category.

Overall, red wines from Lebanon showed more spice than flower.
They were wines with power, boldness and restraint.
Good wines, definitely deserve more praise and attention.

Domaine Genot-Boulanger Bourgogne

Domaine Genot-Boulanger Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2014

The winery is in Meursault, but for this wine, Pinot Noir grape can be from anywhere in Bourgogne.

Pink flower, fresh cranberry, sour cherry, preserved cherry and strawberry.
Sweet aromas of caramel and praline.
Acidity is high and tannin is low. Well balanced.

Elegant and easy to drink wine.
I heard a word of praline in wine description, but this was the first time to actually smell it in wine.

We had this wine with seafood tomato sauce pasta.
I thought the acidity in wine would go good with the tomato sauce, but it didn't really work.
Wine became a little bitter.
Pairing can never be straightforward.

Qupe tasting

Qupe tasting at West Coast Wine and Cheese on Union street, San Francisco.

Qupe was founded in 1982 in California by Bob Lindquist.
They make Rhone style wines with grapes from their vineyards in Central Coast: Bien Nacido Vineyard is in Santa Maria Valley and farmed sustainably, biodynamically farmed Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard is in Edna Valley, and Ibarra-Young Vineyard is in Santa Ynes Valley and farmed organically.

First, tasting of current releases.

Gentleman behind the bottles is Mr. Bob Lindquist

Chardonnay Bien Nacido Block Eleven 2014
Key lime and lemon.

Grenache Sawyer Lindquist 2013
Dry flower and orange zest.

Syrah Bien Nacido Hillside 2013
Meaty and smoky.

Syrah Sawyer Lindquist 2014
Pink pepper cone, white chocolate and berry.

Syrah Sonnies Sawyer Lindquist 2013
Dry red flower, cherry, herb and smokiness.

They were all good, but library releases were gorgeous!

Grenache Purisima Mountain Vineyard 2007
Chamomile and herb.

Syrah Alisos Vineyard 2007
Pink grapefruit, blood orange and ginger.

Syrah Bien Nacido Hillside 2007
Blackberry and spice. Fine tannin.

Chardonnay Bien Nacido Block Eleven 2007
Tropical fruit, button mushroom, caramel and sweet tobacco.

Syrah Alisos Vineyard 2007
Strawberry, plum, herb and rhubarb.

Syrah Bien Nacido Hillside X Block 2005
Herb, allspice, tobacco and sausage.

I still remember the first time I tasted Qupe, its fruit and black pepper, 13 years ago.
I hadn't had Qupe after that - with no specific reason, maybe I just took the wine for granted since Qupe was very popular and could be found anywhere - and forgot how good their wine was.
It's always good to revisit.

Wines of Aliane Imports

There was a tasting of wines from Aliane Wine at Solano Cellars.

Aliane Wine imports wines from independent, family-owned wineries who are focusing on terroir.

Hure Freres Invitation Brut Champagne NV
Acacia, apple and lime skin. Delicate bubbles.

Domaine Girault Sauvignon Blanc Sancerre Loire Valley 2016
Jasmin, grapefruit and grass. Acid was there but soft.

Aliane Chardonnay Bourgogne Blanc Vieilles Vignes 2016
Anise, fresh coffee beans and pound cake.

American version label.
Boobs are not hidden in Europe.

Medium plus acid and medium plus body.


Pithon-Paille Grololo Grolleau Loire Valley 2015
Grolleau Noir is a red grape variety usually used to make rose wine in Loire Valley.
This wine was originally made for consumption for workers during the harvest.
Somebody realized that the wine was too good to be kept among locals, and now it's on the international market with PC label.

Bell pepper, herb, and some funkiness.
Not serious but fun wine.

Marchand-Tawse Pinot Noir Nuit Saint Georges Bourgogne 2014
Complex aromas of cherry, cranberry, nutmeg, fennel seed, coffee and cedar.
Powdery tannin and good acidity.

Blachon Nom de Bleu Syrah Vin de France 2016
Violet, black pepper and bacon.
Soft tannin and easy to drink.

Chateau Dauphine Rondillon Semillon Loupiac Cuvee D'Or 2007
Raisin, ginger and honey.
Sweet but not stickily sweet.

All good wines and affordable.
They were not a kind of wines to hold on to for years, but good quality wines for early consumption.

Grand Cru Classes of St-Emilion tasting

Grand Cru Classes of St-Emilion tasting

Wines of Saint-Emilion are divided into two categories: Saint-Emilion and Saint-Emilion Grand Cru. Saint-Emilion Grand Cru wines are classified as Grand Cru Classe and Premier Grand Cru Classe. This classification is reviewed every 10 years or so.

This is a tasting of Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classe wines.
Soils here (clay and chalk) are more suitable to Merlot or Cabernet Franc than Cabernet Sauvignon.
At this tasting, each winery presented current vintage (2015) and another older vintage.

Clos des Jacobins 2015
80% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon
Herb and caramelized nut. Smooth texture.

Clos des Jacobins 2011
80% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon
Lovely aromas of flower and cosmetic. Powdery tannin.

Chateau de Pressac 2015
71% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Malbec, 2% Carmenere

Rose, cherry, dried fruit and coffee.
Fine tannin.

Chateau de Pressac 2013
72% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Malbec, 1% Carmenere
Rose, nut and cherry.
Fresh greenness of pyrazine.

Both vintages were very good.

Chateau Grand Corbin 2015
77% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
Quince, dried cherry and dried flower.

Chateau Grand Corbin 2012
77% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
Bell pepper. Some funkiness.
I tasted this with dried fig. Very good together.
JC thought this wine would do good with foie gras.

Chateau Grand-Pontet 2015
88% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon
Fresh fig, dried fruit, plum and coffee.

Chateau Grand-Pontet 2010
70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon
Dried mushroom and pickled fruit.
Coffee and sweet dried meat.

I liked both vintages.

Chateau La Tour Figeac 2015
70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc
It was youthful, but something about this wine reminded me of matured wine.
Caramel and tobacco. Soft tannin.

Chateau La Tour Figeac 2014
75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc
Light and classic.
Dried flower, currant, fresh plum, plum skin.
Really good with cheese.

Chateau Laroze 2015
62% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon
Aromas of concentrated red fruit and pine. Soft texture.
Finish was short.

Chateau Laroze 2012
66% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Franc, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon
Dried and pickled fruit. Coffee and red berries.
Tannin was well integrated.

It was my first time to try so many Saint-Emilion at one occasion.
In my impression, aromas of flowers from Cabernet Franc really stood out, then softness of Merlot.
How these aromas will develop or fade in years. Hope I'll have a chance to find out.

Champagne Tribaut-Schloesser

Champagne Tribaut-Schloesser tasting.
It was at China Live,  casual Chinese restaurant in San Francisco.

Champagne Tribaut-Schloesser is a family-owned winery which makes wine from grapes that they grew or purchased from other growers.
Most of their wines have low dosage (lower level of sweetness is added after disgorgement).

Brut Origine
40% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Meunier
Plum, herb and baked apple.
There was yeastiness like pizza crust.

Blanc de Chardonnay
100% Chardonnay.
Flower, ripe apple and pink grapefruit.
Very friendly and very good.
Kind of wine 9 out of 10 people fall in love with.

Brut Nature
35% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Meunier
Tart green apple, peach and sweet herb.

Brut Rose
40% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Meunier
Freshness of green tea. Plum and raspberry.
Good food wine.

Cuvee Rene
70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir
Coffee, Hojicha (roasted green tea), orange skin and almond.

love the closure!

l'Authentique 2008
60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay
Black truffle, herb, black tea and cigar.
Friendly up front then complexity kicks in.
Very good wine. Even after bubbles disappeared, I could still enjoy as a wine.

We had these wines with Chinese food. Pairing was good even with strong spice like allspice.

Delicate bubble. Easy to enjoy and complexity to explore at the same time.
I have a sweet tooth but really enjoy the dryness of their wine.
Very good Champagne. I like bubbly wines overall but didn't have particular favorite. This may be it.

Urakasumi Hiyaoroshi

Urakasumi Tokubetsu Junmai Hiyaoroshi

This is Junmai, so there is no added alcohol.
Sake is usually pasteurised twice, after fermentation and before bottling.
This sake is pasteurised only once after fermentation. This is called Hiyaoroshi and said to retain more freshness.

Clear,  pale lemon color.
Medium plus intensity, medium dry, medium plus acid, medium umami and medium plus body.
Aromas of caramel, banana, ripe pineapple.
Nector of pink flower on the palate.

We had this with duck liver pate with walnut and a slice of Rakkyo.
The sake went good with duck liver.

Simply Italian Great Wines tasting

Simply Italian Great Wines tasting.
The participants of this tasting seem to change year-to-year.
I heard that there were some known names last year but this year, lesser known wineries are presented.
I like these kind of tastings which would give me a chance for new discoveries.

Below are some of the wines I discovered.

D'Angelo Casa Vinicola is from Basilicata.
Basilicata is in southern Italy, the arch of the boots.
Aglianico grapes are grown on the volcanic soils of this mountainous region.

Sacravite 2015 IGT Bacilicata
Baked black fruit, floral and herb.

Aglianico del Vulture DOC 2014
Sour cherry and fresh fruit.

Aglianico del Volture DOC 2004
Red fruit, flower and leather.
Very good wine.

Caselle Aglianico del Vulture DOC2011
Big wine from old vines.
Black fruit with tender texture.

Ciani Wines from Fruili Venezia Giulia.
Fruili Venezia Giulia is a wine region in northern Italy.
The Alps brings cool air while southern part of the region experiences the warm maritime climate.

Pinot Grigio 2016
Acacia and stone fruit. Refreshing wine with nice aroma.

Chardonnay 2016
White flower, peach and citrus. Use of lees gives texture.

Cabernet Franc 2015
Fruit and bell pepper. Notes of coffee beans from oak.

Azienda Zorzon is from Fruili Venezia Giulia.
This is a family owned winery founded at the beginning of the 19th century.

Friulano 2016
Friulano is a local white grape, originally from France.
Fresh peach and savoriness.

Pinot Grigio 2016
Pronounced aromas of flower and fruit.
Short but good finish.

Merlot 2015
Fresh raspberry and strawberry.

Cabernet Franc 2015
Flower, red fruit and herbs.
Fine tannin. Very good wine.

La Ponca is also from Friuli Venezia Giulia.

Friulano 2016
White flower and herb with soft, round oak.

Ribolla Gialla 2016
Ribolla is a local white variety.
Stone fruit, medicinal herb and nuts.
Subtle bitterness gave good balance.

All of them are worth to try, but not widely distributed.
Hope to see them around more often.