Dom Perignon to end the year

You need bubblies to end the year properly.

There are many different sparkling wines, such as Prosecco, Cava, Cremant, etc., made with different methods and from international or local grapes.
They all give the festive feel and fresh and friendly characters: perfect drink to welcome the brand new year.

I enjoy all of them, but when I had a chance to attend a small tasting of  Dom Perignon at Leo's Oyster Bar in San Francisco, I felt, once again, that Champagne is in a class of their own.
Even the wines made with the same method and grape varieties, no other wines can recreate the Champagne's delicacy.

I tried Brut and Rose, both 2006 vintage.

The bubbles are crispy and delicate, creating velvet-like soft texture.
The bubbles and flavor stay long and pleasant in the mouth.
They show freshness and complexity at the same time, which makes this wine good by itself, also great with food.

Dom Perignon is one of the most famous Champagne brand.
It is always a vintage wine and it means that it is made only in good years and not in poor vintages.
This is not an easy task since Champagne's location is at the northern edge for the wine producing region. Although the cool temperature helps to retain high acidity, ripening of grapes can be challenging in some years.

Having a great wine made under this strict condition at the end of the year was a good idea.
It gave me an opportunity to stop, think and prepare to gather myself and jump into the new year!

Left-over yarn blanket project part 2

Last year I made a blanket with left over yarn.
It was a mere effort to decrease the stash of yarn but I really liked the blanket.
I still have a mountain of left-over yarn, so I decided to make another one.

This time I only used white and brown color yarns.
In the warp I used yarns which I spun when I just started to learn spinning.
These yarns are bumpy and somehow charming, and can be made only by beginners.
It is a kind of sad that I can't recreate this charming yarn anymore, but I at least can cherish them every time I use the blanket if I use them in this project.

Double weave just like the last one.
This method enables to make a blanket double the width of the loom.

The thick white yarn is the charming bumpy yarn

The result is ... I think it really looks good! I like it!

...and warm! (my cat agrees, I think)

Saint-Emilion 2016

There was a tasting event of Saint-Emilion 2016 (and some other) vintages in San Francisco.

Saint-Emilion is in the Right Bank of Bordeaux.
Soils in the Right Bank is more clay soil than in the Left Bank, and Merlot is the dominant grape, which is suited to the cool soil.

According to the Association de Grands Crus Classes de Saint-Emilion, 2016 had cool, wet spring and hot and dry summer.
Cool night-time temperatures around the harvest time helped grapes to retain freshness as they became fully ripe.

Here are some of the wines I liked.

Chateau Ripeau 2016
Chateau Ripeau is located near Chateau Cheval Blanc and close to the border with Pomerol.
Fruits are restrained but has beautiful expression.
Aromas of fruits, exotic incense and spices are supported by good amount of acid and tannin.
A wine with a sense of decency.

Chateau Jean Faure 2016
50% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot.
Smooth texture with high, fine-grained tannin.
Aromas are complex: floral and meaty at the same time.
2014 vintage had clean perfume of flower and fruit.
I really liked both of them.

Chateau Grand Pontet 2009
Chateau Grand Pontet is located in the western plateau of St-Emilion.
Rich aromas of ripe fruits, sugar-coated flowers and coffee, which are supported by well-integrated firm but tender tannin

Chateau Grand Corbin 2012
Chateau Grand Corbin is located on the northwestern part of the St-Emilion plateau.
Beautiful combination of concentrated red and black fruits and spice.
Powdery tannin and acid are well balanced.
Finish is long and pleasant.

Chateau Chauvin 2016
Chateau Chauvin has a long history in St-Emilion and had undergone restructuring of the viticultural and winemaking techniques under the new ownership since 2014.
Beautiful wine. It is strong yet delicate.

Overall impression of 2016 vintage was the wine with vibrant and charming flower and fruits with smooth tannin.
It is approachable now but with firm structure, these wines would be long-lived.

Red wines from Germany

Germany is famous for its white wine.
The cool climate of Germany is suited to the production of white wine with crisp acidity and fresh fruits characters. However, popularity of German red wine has been increasing.

There was a EU sponsored promotional tasting event and I got to taste two German red wines there.

Weingut Borell-Diehl Pfalz Pinot Noir 2017
Pinot Noir from Pfalz.
Pfaiz is located between the Rhine river and the Haardt mountain range. The mountains protect the area from the rain-bearing westerly winds therefore it is relatively warm and dry comparing with the other German wine regions. Red grape varieties can thrive in this climate and about one-third of wine produced in Pfalz is red.

Vibrant red cherry and cranberry stay long on the palate and finish cleanly.
Approachable, friendly wine.

Weingut Knauss La Boutanche Trollonger Wurttemberg 2018
Trollinger is a red grape variety originally from Italy, called Schiava there.
This bright ruby color wine is made with organic methods and low intervention.

The aromas and flavors of fresh flower, strawberry and thyme are balanced with sharp acid of cranberry.
The lightness of body supports the fresh characters.


Both of them are clean and fresh, and reasonably priced (about $20.00).
Worth a try! 

Domaine Dujac 2016

There are so many good and great wines from all over the world, not only from the old world but also from the new world.
I feel lucky every time I get to try these wines, but it is Burgundy I especially feel "this is wine".

Domaine Dujac Vosne-Romanee 1er cru Les Beaux Monts 2016
Concentrated aromas and flavors of red and black cherry and plum, raspberry, cranberry, tea, red rose, dried lavender and spice characters from oak were embraced by high acidity and fine grained tannin.
First fresh red fruit gave a vibrant impression then richness of black fruits came in, after that fresh aromas of herb and exotic incense gradually appeared.

Wine like this reminds me that why I love Burgundy (even though I rarely have chance to drink them).

I saved some and tried again five days later.

It still was beautiful and oxidative characters of dried fruits added extra complexity.

Three wines of Rioja

We happened to have three red Rioja wines with different ageing requirement so did blind tasting to see if we could tell the difference.

Cune Rioja Crianza 2016
Crianza is aged for minimum 2 years with at least 1 year in oak.
Aromas of ripe strawberry, cherry, caramelized plum, fennel and coffee beans.
Tannin is high and ripe, and balanced with fruits.

Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Reserva 2014
Reserva is aged for 3 years with minimum 1 year in oak.
Sour cherry, red cherry, hay. Fine-grained tannin is well integrated.
The wine was smooth and enjoyable.

Viña Real Rioja Gran Reserva 2011

Gran Reserva is aged for 5 years with minimum 2 years in oak and 2 years in bottle.
Red and black cherry, plum, salami, dark chocolate and coffee beans.
Texture is creamy.
The aromas showed complexity of fresh fruit, savoriness and oak.

It was hard ... I couldn't tell the difference. 
Judging from the length of ageing, I expected Crianza to be fresher and Gran Reserva would indicate fruit development.
However, Crianza displayed some fruit development and Gran Reserva still retained freshness. Interesting.

Then we compared these wines with seafood Paella.

Crianza was great with seafood. 
Chorizo and Reserva were good pairing. 
With Paella itself, Gran Reserva was the best.

Twinbird Ice Crusher

JC loves cocktail.
He loves to drink them but I think he loves to make them more.
Crushed ice is the integral part of cocktail making and he'd been making crushed ice by hitting a bag full of ice with my rolling pin. It caused huge noise and of course my rolling pin was destroyed.

Last summer, I couldn't stand the noise and the sight of damaged rolling pin anymore and got this for JC: Twinbird Ice Crusher.

Just throw the ice from top of the machine and turn the handle. It still makes some noise but my rolling pin is safe now and the ice seems much nicer. They are crushed into evenly smaller pieces.

Cocktail made with the ice from this machine melt gradually and does not dilute the flavor.
I can't explain scientifically but it does taste different.

When I was looking for the ice crusher, the biggest concern was durability.
Twinbird is a company in Tsubame city, Niigata.
This city is known for its metalworking therefore I assumed that the metal part of the machine would be durable.
We've been using this for a year, probably once a week on average.
It's still working fine.

Neumeister Klausen Sauvignon Blanc 2015

We buy most of vegetables at farmers market.
They are not only fresh but also seasonal. 

What we found this day was avocado. Avocado season in California is almost over but this one was still very nice, meaty and flavourful avocado.
JC made seafood Donburi with this.

We had this Donburi with Sauvignon Blanc from Austria.

Neumeister Klausen Sauvignon Blanc 2015
Notes of citrus, tropical fruits and almond skin.
High yet soft acid and rich texture.

This wine has fruitiness of Sauvignon Blanc but also savoriness, which makes the wine very good with food.

Bordeaux Bag Project

The other day JC entered a competition of Bordeaux wine.
This was an event to promote Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superieur AOC wines.

Bordeaux AOC is the regional standard appellation, and Bordeaux Superieur is an appellation which has a little higher quality than Bordeaux AOC.
Bordeaux Superieur wine is mostly red and made under stricter regulations than Bordeaux AOC such as lower yields or higher potential alcohol.

He didn’t win the competition but was among the finalists and brought back these wines as a prize for participation.

He tried these and other wines at the event and said that Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superieur wines had really great values, especially whites.
I look forward to trying these wines but for now, I was intrigued by the bag which came with the bottles.

The color and design reminded me of an image of shopping at farmers market in sunny afternoon so I decided to make a tote bag for market strolling.

My market strolling bag project:

1. Reinforce the bottom with oval shaped plastic board. 
2. Make lining with pockets. 
3. Change handles to leather.

The result is...

It's very close to the image I had for this project.
There is a room for improvement but overall I'm happy with this. 

Meroi Vigna Dominin Refosco 2013

Meroi Refosco Friuli Colli Orientali 2013

Pronounced aromas of red rose, violet, black cherry, plum, thyme, dark chocolate, clove and celery-like savoriness.

Velvety tannin and medium-plus acid.

Concentration of the characters of fruit, herb and spice are balanced with firm structure.

Finish is long.

Big, ripe wine but there is a sense of delicacy.

Refosco is a native red grape variety from northern Italy, with ripe black fruits which are balanced with high acidity.
JC got this wine when he visited the Meroi winery in Friuli-Venezia Giulia last year.

We had this wine with slowly barbecued beef.

People in Friuli rather have potatoes than bread with dinner (that's what JC saw at a restaurant) so we had potato chips to imitate the dinner in Friuli.

Beef was lean but flavorful and went good with the wine.

Goya and wine

Goya is a difficult vegetable to pair with wine.
Goya, also called bitter melon, has the distinct bitterness which can be addictive but doesn't necessarily go good with the characteristics of wine.

One of the most popular Goya dishes would be Goya Champuru: it's Goya stir fry with pork, tofu and egg. The bitterness, the sweetness of pork fat and the soft texture of tofu are great combination.

There is an easier dish, if you want to simply enjoy the bitterness of the vegetable.
Blanch sliced Goya, drain and eat with Ponzu (citrus and soy sauce) and Katsuobushi (dried bonito).

We had this with Rias Baixas, which happened to be a great pairing!

Condes de Albarei Albarino Rias Baixas 2017
The wine has notes of citrus, pear, thyme and almond.
Acidity is tamed by the ripe fruit.

The bitterness of Goya complements to the savoriness of wine and brings out the fruitiness.

A glass of Domaine A. Clape

Domaine Auguste Clape makes wine from its old vine Syrah grown on steep hills of Cornas, Northern Rhone.

It was about 15 years ago when I tasted rich, complex Domaine A. Clape Syrah for the first time.
Back then I was happily enjoying reasonably priced regular wines and had no idea what was so special about famous, pricey wines, but with this wine I learned that expensive wine had reasons to justify the price tag.  

Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas 2014

Color is dark purple.

Beautiful aromas of violet, fresh black cherry, plum, cranberry, lavender, thyme, potpourri and coffee beans.

Fruits are concentrated and enjoyable, and its flavor stays long into aftertaste with a hint of coffee beans as an accent. Aromas of fresh flower, fruit and herbs are so vibrant and braced with high acid and tannin.

It is still very fresh and shows the potential to develop more complexity with further ageing.

The chance to find Domaine A. Clape served as a by the glass wine is quite rare, so if you are in East bay, go visit Solano Cellars now!

Cal Batllet 5 Partides Gratallops Priorat DOQ 2009

Priorat is hot and dry wine producing region in Spain.

It is known for its red wine with deep colour, high tannin, high alcohol and concentrated black fruit notes made from old vine Garnacha and Carignan.

Vines are grown on poor soils on steep slopes, where mechanization is impossible.

Yields are extremely low due to its dry weather, nutrient poor soils and old age of vines, which contribute to concentrated fruit.

With these factors, and probably with marketing strategy, wines from Priorat are usually pricey.

So we don't drink Priorat often but this was recommended at a Spanish deli.

Cal Batllet 5 Partides Gratallops Priorat DOQ 2009

Wine from Priorat. Grapes are 100% Carignan.

This wine is about $50.00.
Relatively reasonable for Priorat so I didn't have high expectation, but it was really good!

Layers of violet, lavender, fresh black cherry, boysenberry jam, cooked plum, vanilla and chocolate.

Finish is long and fruit flavor stays pleasant.

Rich fruit and high tannin are well balanced.

Acid and herb add a hint of freshness to rich, concentrated fruit.

We of course had this wine with Spanish food. Frittata.

Alcohol could be too high as food wine (15%), but still good pairing.

Colet Navazos Extra Brut Reserva

The other day we found an interesting wine at a Spanish grocery store.

Colet Navazos Extra Brut Reserva 2008

This is a sparkling wine from Penedés, Spain, made with traditional method. 
Base wine is Chardonnay, and a little bit of Manzanilla Sherry is added at disgorgement. Interesting.


Very apple, with some pear and quince. Subtle toast from flor yeast.
Oxidized quality of fruit is balanced with high acid.
Soft bubble with soft texture. 
Easy to drink, a little bit like cider.

We had this wine with Spring Pasta with Fava beans.

The wine cut the oiliness of the pesto sauce and made it taste fresh. Perfect pairing.

White wines from Portugal

When I hear "Wines of Portugal", the first thing comes into my mind is Port wines.
Like these beautiful wines from Kopke.

Layers of dried fruit, flower, nut, caramel, chocolate, backed with strong structure.
Rich and smooth texture.

However, Portugal has much more to offer.

The size of Portugal is not big comparing with other wine producing countries like Spain or France, but it has variety of topography from mountains to coast and variation in climatic effect. In fact, Portugal has the largest number of microclimates per square kilometers in the world!
The country receives Atlantic, Mediterranean and continental influences. These, together with aspects, soils and altitude, affect the styles of wine.
Moreover, Portugal had most indigenous grape varieties planted per km² in the world.
This is not a mere sales pitch. The combination of different terroirs and different grape varieties are reflected in the wines.

To catch a glimpse of the reflection, I had a chance to taste four different styles of white wine from Portugal.

Sogrape Azevedo Loureiro - Alvarinho DOC Vinho Verde 2018
Vinho Verde is in the north of Portugal with strong Atlantic influence (very wet), and known for its white wine with crisp acid.
Grapes are Loureiro and Alvarinho.
Refreshing citrus, tropical fruit and white flower with long finish.
The acidity was so bright that it was like jumping into my mouth.

Casa Americo Quinta do Vale DOC Dao 2018
DOC Dao is surrounded by high mountains and protected from cold winds and storms.
Wine is made with Malvasia Fina, Bical, Encruzado.
White flower, peach, citrus, ginger with a hint of flintiness.
Texture is creamy and mouth-coating.

Wine & Soul Guru DOC Douro 2017
Douro is the region known for the famous Port wine, but the quality of table wine has much improved and it has been gaining popularity.
Alyssum, orange, fresh and bitter grapefruit, and subtle sweetness of ripe citrus.
High acid is balanced with ripe fruit and round texture. Aftertaste is pleasant.
This interesting wine, which is my favorite of the day, is a field blend. It means that different varieties planted in a vineyard are vinified together.
Grapes are local Gouveio, Rabigato, Viosinho, Codega do Larinho... all unfamiliar names.
This wine is a great find: such a delicious wine made from obscure (sorry!) grapes.

Esporao Reserva Blanco DOC Alentejo 2017
Grapes are Antao Vaz, Arinto, Roupeiro.
Classic white blend from Alentejo, the region experiences strong continental influence (hot summers and cold winters).
Honeysuckle, ripe tropical fruit with medium acid.
Full-bodied with mouth-coating texture.

These four white wines were so different.
From refreshing and aromatic to rich, full-bodied wine, made with different grapes grown on different terroirs.

Portugal has history of wine making since 2000 BC but there are still many unfamiliar, undiscovered things to explore in their wines, like a treasure box!

Giovanni Montisci from Sardinia

It's always nice to try good wine, but if it comes from unexpected place, it feels special.
But how do I find unknown wine from unexpected place?

Best and certain way is to choose from an importer who carry wines in style you like.
There are more than several importers I like and trust, but Kermit Lynch is the one I always depend on.
It's been more than a decade since I started to shop at their Berkeley store, and they still keep showing me new surprises, just like this wine.

Giovanni Montisci Barrosu Cannonau di Sardegna

Wine is made with old vine Grenache, which is called Cannonau in Sardinia.
Concentrated ripe red fruit, which is still vibrant, cassis, herb, coffee.
Well balanced silky tannin. It is powerful but not arrogant, although the name "Barrosu" means arrogant guy in a local dialect.
It has rustic feel. I've never been to Sardinia but I felt like I was sitting on the island and touching the soil as I drunk the wine.
On the other hand, this wine also has elegant side.
It is approachable but if you seek deeper, this wine has depth to explore further.

Giovanni Montisci is a producer from Sardinia, Italy.
Sardinia is a popular tour destination and the viticulture is not a big part of Sardinia's agricultural economy, but its wine industry is slowly improving.

Sardinia is the second largest island of Italy with hills which can be more than 1,800 m above sea level and rocky coast.
This topography and varied soils types provide preferable choices for vineyard location.
The climate is hot with cooling effect from the Mediterranean. This combination creates wide diurnal range which ensures full ripeness of the grapes while acidity in grapes is retained.

With these conditions, there is no doubt that Sardinia can produce great wines, and Giovanni Montisci just proved that.

National Carbonara Day

Little information I learned recently: April 6th is the National Carbonara day.

It seems to encourage people to cook Carbonara and share the recipe, but when I make carbonara at home, It tends to become too greasy.
Therefore we went to enjoy professionally made Carbonara at 54 Mint, an Italian restaurant in San Francisco.
This restaurant has a impeccable lineup of pasta dishes. Their homemade pasta is fresh and has good texture.

Crispy fried seafood is a MUST at good Italian restaurant! 

Carbonara is a simple dish, but very flavorful.
This Carbonara at 54 Mint was rich but not greasy, especially when I had it with wine.

Wine was Bellone, white wine from Lazio.
Refreshing and easy to drink, and cut the fat of cheese and emphasize the flavor of  the dish.

We ended our lunch with Tiramisu. Perfect.

Spanish Bistro Shakewell

JC brought home a nice wine: AA Badenhorst.
Chenin Blanc-base white blend wine from South Africa, with vibrant fruit and flower, and richness and freshness at the same time.

The wine was good by itself but would be even better with food, so we went out for dinner with this wine.

Shakewell is a Spanish Bistro in Oakland.
Both restaurant and neighbourhood have casual, cozy feel.
It is a Tapas restaurant so I expected each plate would be small, but the size was actually generous.

Patatas Bravas
Fried potatoes with spicy tomato sauce and Aioli.
Crispy outside, soft and steamy inside.
Sauce wasn't too spicy and gave good accent.

Tempura Morels
Mushroom was meaty and had good texture and flavor.
Both fried dishes were not greasy at all. They must be using good oil to fry.

Other appetizers looked delicious too, but we needed to save room for the main dish.

Wood Oven Paella
Classic paella with Manila clams and Chorizo, finished in the wood-fired oven.
Rice was perfectly cooked. Not too hard, not too mushy.
Combination of flavors which was rich but not heavy.
The wood oven finish made the top of rice crispy, and it kept the dish hot for long time.

All dishes had subtle spiciness which was not overwhelming and supported the flavor of dishes.
The white wine went really good with the spice.

Somebody told JC that if a Spanish restaurant made good Patatas Bravas, other dishes would be good too. The theory seems to be true.

Tre Bicchieri 2019

Tre Bicchieri is once a year event of Italian wine tasting.

Tre Bicchieri literally means three glasses. This is a highest ranking in wine ratings given by  Gambero Rosso, a renown Italian food and wine magazine.

This event offers tasting of the wines which won Tre Bicchieri, meaning that this is a great opportunity to taste Italian wines among the best.


It is hard to choose favorite, but there are some bottles which are especially memorable to me.

Ottella Molceo Lugana Riserva 2016

Trebbiano di Lugana wine from Lugana.

Wine with clean minerality, citrus, apple and long, refreshing aftertaste. 

Podere Sapaio Bolgheri Rosso Superiore Sapaio 2016

Bordeaux blend from Tuscany.

Beautiful aromas of red and black cherry, plum and currant. 

Decent wine with fine-grained tannin. Full body and radiant.

Colle Massari Montecucco Sangiovese Poggio Lombrone Riserva 2014

Colle Massari Brunello di Montalcino Poggio di Sotto 2013
Ripe red fruit, herbs and coffee, balanced with firm tannin.

Colle Massari Bolgheri Superiore Grattamacco 2015
Super Tuscan made with 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot. 
Although it might not be as famous as Sassicaia or Ornellaia, this Super Tustan is great!
Chocolate covered cherry. Subtle sweetness of ripe fruit.
Tannin is firm but ripe and texture is round. Very approachable. 

Carlo Giacosa Barbaresco Montefico 2015
Well made, well balanced wine with acid of red fruit.
No room for excess decorations. Simple beauty.

Brandini Barolo del Comune di La Morra 2014
Elegant aromas of flower and incense.
Gentle wine with powdery tannin.


And, probably the most memorable wine of the day:

Angoris Albertina Pinot Nero Friuli Isonzo 2016
Gorgeous Pinot Noir from Friuli Isonzo, northern Italy!
Friuli Isonzo is a small DOC in south-eastern part of Friuli Venezia Giulia. The moderating effect from the Adriatic Sea and cool wind from mountains provide the large diurnal range for this region, which is essential for fine wine production.
Elegant aromas of floral, red cherry, red berries with spice and savoriness.
Decent wine with fine tannin and round body. 

Unfortunately this wine is under Not Imported category. Hope someone would import! 

Aligoté from Burgundy

There is a concept of Old World and New World in wine.
Old world is, basically Europe, where wine has been produced and consumed for long time.
New world is everywhere else, like US, Australia, or Chile.

In practical point of view, one of the big differences of new and old world is whether there is a strict regulation about permitted grape. These grapes grown on the terroir of old world for long time have become like a synonym to the region such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux, or Sangiovese and Chianti.

Burgundy has its famous synonymous grapes: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. But there are other grapes which are permitted in Burgundy.
White grape Aligoté is used for the regional wine of Burgundy.
Wine from Aligoté has fresh aromas of flower and fruit, and is meant to be drunk young. 
Aligoté is not particularly picky about the growing condition, and grown on lesser vineyards (best sites are saved for Chardonnay). This and less recognition can mean Aligoté wine is much more affordable.

There was an event to taste this white Burgundy wine, potentially a good alternative to Chardonnay.

Domaine Catherine et Claude Marechal Bourgogne Aligoté 2017
The wine with concentrated fruit aromas is made from 40 or more year old vines.
Honeysuckle, acacia, fresh melon, peach, green apple and citrus aromas. Soft acid.
It's fresh, clean wine.

Caves Bailly-Lapierre Bourgogne Aligoté 2016
Nectar-like fruit of apple and peach.
Lean, light bodied wine with smooth texture.

Domaine Manuel Oliver Bourgogne Aligoté 2016
Acacia, jasmine, ripe citrus and peach.
High minerality, almost saline.

Domaine Pierre-Louis et Jean-Francois Bersan Bourgogne Aligoté 2015
Aromas of green apple and pear.
Delicate wine with soft texture.

Maison Louis Jadot Bouzeron 2015
Aligote aged in new oak.
Fresh Asian pear, hazelnut, smoke and cedar. Refreshing acid.

Domaine Les Champs de Themis Les Corcelles Bouzeron 2016
White flower, pear, peach and apple.
Round texture with long finish.

Bouzeron is a village in Cote Chalonnaise, only village appellation made from Aligoté.

There is a reason that Chardonnay is the principal grape of white Burgundy. It's harder to find good Aligoté than good Chardonnay. 
My first positive encounter with Aligoté was when it was recommended at Kermit Lynch (importer/retailer) some years ago. It was strikingly lovable. I immediately went back to the store to get more but it was already sold out. The wine was that good.
So, the best way to find good Aligoté is to ask wine shops. Or, find one of the bottles I tasted this day. These are all good, aromatic wine with body and soft acid, and good food wine, especially with seafood and vegetables.

Bordeaux 2016 Vintage

There are many things which can define the character of wine: grape variety, soil, climate, timing of harvest, or of course wine making techniques.

Vintage is also a big factor. According to wine journalist Jacky Rigaux, terroir determines the wine's originality and the vintage determines the quality of wine.
However, it is hard for me to grasp the sense of vintage, probably because it changes every year or a relation of a cause and effect involved in vintage is too complicated. Or probably because I'm not good with numbers.

There was a tasting of Bordeaux Grand Cru Classe 2016 vintage in San Francisco. Perfect opportunity to taste wines from the same vintage. It was wet at the beginning of the year and summer was very hot in 2016 Bordeaux. Hopefully I can grasp at least a tiny bit of the idea of vintage.

There were classified wines from all over Bordeaux, and these are the wines memorable to me.

Chateau Giscours Margaux 2016
Cherry, raspberry, chocolate, hints of pyrazine.
Wine is powerful yet decent and approachable.

Chateau Prieure-Lichine Margaux 2016
A chateau founded by monks in 12th century.
Red plum, raspberry, herb and soft tannin.
Pretty wine, makes me feel like dancing!

Chateau Gruaud Larose Saint-Julien 2016
A second growth in 1855 Bordeaux Classification.
Red fruit, coffee candy and spice.
Tannin is smooth and the texture is soft.
The label design might not be modern but gives a sense of old days' elegance, and the wine tastes like its label.

Chateau Talbot Saint-Julien 2016
Pleasant aromas of red fruit, flower and herbs.
The wine is with fine-grained tannin and very approachable.
It is hard not to like this wine!

Chateau de Pez Saint-Estephe 2016
The beautiful chateau was originally a hunting lodge then expanded to produce wine. Now it is owned by the champagne house Louis Roederer.
Fresh aromas of red fruit and flower are backed by notes of coffee.
It is firm wine with strong but fine tannin. Very enjoyable.

Chateau Phelan Segur Saint-Estephe 2016
Aromatic wine with fresh and dried floral, cherry, cranberry characters.
Strong tannin presence, which is more reliable than aggressive.

Chateau Clarke Listrac-Medoc 2016
Listrac is a commune in Medoc, lesser known than other big names like Margaux or St-Julien. High water table in the area and shallow root system as its result work as disadvantage, but this wine proves that great wine can be made under such a condition.

A little unusual for Medoc, majority of the grape in this blend is Merlot.
Notes of ripe red fruit, spice, coffee.
Clean, full-bodied wine with gripping tannin.

Chateau La Lagune Haut-Medoc 2016
A third growth in 1855 Bordeaux Classification.
Beautiful aromas of fresh cherry, plum and purple flower.
Bitter sweet coffee-like after taste.

There were also beautiful white wines.

Chateau Carbonnieux Pessac-Leognan 2016
A chateau of long history with the Benedictine monks as the first owner.
Refreshing citrus and tropical fruit notes with savory characters of lees.
Long, clean finish.

Chateau Olivier Pessac-Leognan 2016
Candied citrus, melon and peach.
Delicate wine with strong finish.

The characteristics of vintage is still vague for me, but I felt a difference.
Overall impression, St-Julian was most memorable for 2016. At the last years tasting, which was the tasting of 2015, I found Margaux most attractive.
Even though I don't understand how, but I must have had detected the difference between vintages.