The Royal Tannin Bombs

For this third installation (June, 2009) of The Royal Tannin Bombs “Wine of the Month” (WOTM) we bring you, whoa, none other than a white wine of all things!  Last month was a Pinot Noir, now a white wine - no one can accuse us Royals of wine-ism!

Now I KNOW it’s already July, and I KNOW I said I’d get these out earlier, but until we invent that time machine it’s apparently just not happening.  So consider this your summer wine pick, and snap some up for all your picnic summer time frolics.  Oh and please frolic in private; no one wants to see that.

This is the best white wine I’ve had outside a killer Loire Vouvray in as long as I can remember.  I’ve (the Bad Man) ranked it #1 in 3 separate official Royal Tannin Bomb BLIND tastings, which included these other Sauvignon Blanc wines:
Nobilo 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand $13
Porcupine Ridge 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, Boekenhoutskloof, South Africa $10
Domaine Henri Bourgeois 2006 ‘Le M D’ Sancerre Sauvignon Blanc $27
Groth 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley $14
Kim Crawford 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand $14
Domaine du Tremblay 2006 Jean Tatin Quincy, Loire Valley, France $18
Some Italian SB - don’t have the bottle, began with a “Z” (Bad Man got it at Jackson’s)
Domaine Ricard 2008 Cuvee Les Trois Chenes, Touraine, France $22

And the winner is… …. ….

Voilà!

Domaine Henri Bourgeois Haute-Victoire 2006 Quincy, Loire Valley, France, $16.99

This baby rocks, every time.

Aroma.Bouquet.Nose: Lavender, floral, slightly skunky, grass, not much fruit.  Buttery, mineral, lemon and citrus.
Flavor.Body.Finish: Quite acidic, but balanced by creaminess and rich juicy fruit, big bold body.  Tart (like I like my girls, quipped Bad Man), with a hint of sweetness, tropical fruits and melon rich flavors.  Flinty, off-balance at first but sorts itself out over time, medium bodied balanced, chalky complexity.
Overall.Notes.Final: Speaking of stars, this is a stellar wine, perhaps a little too rich in Bad Man’s (that’s me) opinion, bringing to light the question of whether or not this is the way a Sauvignon Blanc is supposed to be.

BM: Balanced, rich, a little tight, but great potential ++ (high marks).
FT: Best flavors, good balance of tart vs. sweet - easily the best.

Taster, Rating, Ranking (1 being best in the blind tasting)
BM: 86  1
TH: 84  3
BM: 87  1
FT: 85  1
BM: 89  1

TRTB: 86

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Well kids, it’s that time again.  No, not to worry, it’s not bath time; rather it’s time to hit a few massive gnarlacious Zinfandels.  Stay tuned for this Saturday’s (June 13, 2009, A.D.) colossal Zinfandel tasting, where we’ll be sampling the very finest from our previous efforts up against a few new contenders.  Yes they’ll be the Rosenblum Annette’s Reserve 2005 (not the pruny harvested-too-late ‘06), the sublime-in-the-mouth-but-yuck-on-the-nose A. Rafanelli, the stand-in-tremendous-QPR (quality/price ratio) Four Vines Maverick Amador County 2006, the Tally-Ho fav. Rosenblum Snows Lake, and two new “secret friends”, which are purportedly ball-busters (neither of us have sampled either).

So come by after Saturday for the full tasting notes and review - this is one you won’t want to miss!

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On the Fox television show Ally McBeal’s May 15th 2000 episode Nell Porter decides to leave the firm.  The plot gets ugly as she manipulates Elaine to steal clients’ portfolios so Nell can lure them away to her new firm.  Although Nell ends up paying $300,000 for her boldness she retains her clients and her attorney sports Nell a fine bottle of Bordeaux - a 1978 Château Latour!  I noted she drank it from a rather broad bowled Burgundy glass, but I’m sure if it wasn’t TV studio kool-aid the bouquet must’ve smelled as sweet as the victory of success.

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In light of Serena Williams’ accusation of cheating on the part of her (defeated) opponent Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez in this 2009 Parisian French Open at Roland Garros by not admitting that the ball hit her on the arm and instead keeping the point (and going on to win the set), let us not forget Wimbledon 2007.  Serena is saying today, in 2009, “I’ve never sunk low”.  Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!

I wrote this 2 years ago; read on:

Well, Badman doesn’t like sports, as you are all aware, but he has been known to take in his fair share of tennis.  The Williams sisters stormed onto the women’s tennis circuit 12 years ago, breathing a fresh breeze into an otherwise stodgy dry sport.  But their era of domination was diluted by their ridiculously overbearing and outrageous parents, especially their father who said the girls could better spend their time at home worshipping God, or some such malarkey.  The steady flow of green-backs helped changed his mind to at least attend some of their gigs, and at Wimbledon (see, there’s no “T” in the bloody word!) in 2007 he stood cheering his gimp daughter Serena on.  She got a bad left calf cramp, bringing out the physical trainer for a lengthy, but somehow allowed, therapy session.  After which the girl could barely stand up, much less play a decent game.  Then came the rain, which saved her in the middle of a second set tie-breaker.  After the rain delay, she came out rested and ready to play.  And play she did, easily defeating her opponent, Daniela Hantuchova.  Daniela of course didn’t do enough to face off against her injured opponent; yes, it was reminiscent of watching a train wreck.

But here’s the cheat - if you are too out of shape physically to survive a three set straight match, you don’t deserve a “W” in the results column.  So what - she got lucky, mother nature smiled on her with rain at just the right moment.  It could happen to any player at any time, you might say.  I say it’s the trainer and chair umpire’s call - and duty - that if a player can’t continue then and there, regardless of impending rain, then the game should be called in favour of the player who is actually able to continue play.

Serena should have stepped up voluntarily, and in good sportswomenship proposed and allowed her own forfeiture.  She didn’t, and therefore she has no integrity at best, cheated at worst.

And so Serena Williams then faced Justine Henin, who took Ms. Williams’ apart, limb by limp.  But the damage was done. Daniela lost the ranking points, not to mention a doubled paycheck, for her misfortune and Serena’s dishonesty.

What do we Americans care?  Serena is from our country, that other chick is from some other country, God knows where.  They probably still poo in a hole in their own backyard.

Americans are such ethnocentric swine.  And yes, when you listen to the Williams sisters grunt on the grass courts of Merry England, piglet is precisely what comes to mind.

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We here at The Royal Tannin Bombs are always on the prowl for cheap yet outstanding Bordeaux (an oxymoron in the best of times), and we continually revisit this pair from that most affordable of Bordeaux regions, the Côtes de Castillon:

Contenders

2005 La Fleur de Laussac Côtes de Castillon, 14% abv, $19.97
2004 Château d’Aiguilhe Comtes de Neipperg Côtes-de-Castillon, 13.5% abv, $25.97

Tasted blind, as always

Notes

Château d’Aiguilhe 2004
Chocolate, floral and smoked meat in the nose.  In the mouth roundness, acid flowing all the way to the back of the palate, and fine grained tannins.  Medium to full-bodied, the tannins don’t attack but you certainly notice them.  The fruit isn’t as rich as it could be, maybe it was picked at a lower degrees Brix (°Bx).  Not clipped but dry and acidic on the finish - the middle is all round and chewy.  As pleasing a Bordeaux as you could ask for, balanced between power and refinement (though not elegance or finesse).  Perhaps a little soft as the night wore on but never flabby.

La Fleur de Laussac 2005
Red raspberry and sour must, quite incisive in the mouth, very direct.  Certainly the more austere of the two.  Chocolate on the finish.

Conclusion

We didn’t write much about wine number 2 - it was more tannic showing structure with less fruit, so the Bordeaux purists would find it promising but both wines were good and have reasonable QPR (Quality/Price ratio).  I (Bad Man) have tasted the d’Aiguilhe many times over the last several vintages, and I’ve usually liked it a bunch, and this La Fleur de Laussac, being a 2005, will be a rewarding wine for many years to come.

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For the Second WOTM (Wine of the Month) we’re featuring the ever so over-esteemed varietal that we here at The Royal Tannin Bombs love to hate, and hate to love.  For good reason - it tastes BAD!  But we’re all about the “fair” here, so at any rate you can’t slam us for only doing Bordeaux and Zin.

We’ve had several Pinot Noir tastings in the last few months and we’ve certainly tasted some top-notch reputable offerings plus some great finds we made of our own, and there was one New World Pinot Noir that consistently showed-up the field.  Even more remarkable is that it is easy to get, perched beckoningly on most any grocers’ shelves, and is far from expensive being less than $30.  Now we’re not claiming it is the BEST Pinot Noir (that award fo’ shizzle goes to the Londer Vineyards Paraboll Anderson Valley Pinot Noir 2006 ($60)), but due to its consistent over-performance and easy obtainability it gets this month’s nod for The Royal Tannin Bomb’s WOTM accolade.

We’ve had this Pinot Noir in three official blind tastings up against 11 other top-quality Pinots averaging $37 per bottle.  In two official blind Pinot Noir tastings Tally-Ho and I (the Bad Man) both ranked it first in the field, and in the only other blind Pinot Noir tasting we conducted I ranked it 2nd (to the Londer Paraboll 2006) and Tally-Ho dis’d it, because it was tainted.

And now, without further adieu — Drum roll please…..

The Royal Tannin Bomb Wine of the Month for May, 2009 is:

2006 Chalone Vineyard Estate Grown Pinot Noir, Chalone Appellation, The Pinnacles, Monterey County, No. 019676 and No. 019120, 14.7% abv, $27.99
(Note: No. 019688 was somewhat tainted)

TRTB average score (2 official tastings/2 tasters): 88

Our Royal Tannin Bomb combined tasting notes:

Nose
Candied dark sugar, dark blue/black fruit, intense forest floor, loam, shoe leather, mold, mint, menthol, camphor, warm spice, iced tea, sawdust, strawberry, vanilla, and cinnamon.

Mouth
Soft unctuous body, great layers of dusty strawberries and dark fruit, mashed raspberries, black cherry and plum, all velvety and layered, some chocolate goodness in the mouth, killer warm spicy beautiful lasting finish, firm acid, dusty moderate tannins, rich, structured and balanced, supple body, slight spice.  A “complete” wine in balance.

Thoughts
BM: A solid effort, beautifully balanced mouthfeel.  This is what Pinot Noir is all about - the best Pinot Noir I’ve ever had.
TH: Ripe, warm, fruity - great mouthfeel and very nice finish.  This is the best most likable of the table.  A really drinkable “not smoked salmon” Pinot.

Scores
BM: 89, 84, 85
TH: 89, 91

Note: For those keeping score at home, I actually do realize it is freakin’ June already, but I was a little behind in posted this.  We’ve got a lot of tastings in store, so expect a more timely mid-month posting of this nature as we tour through the summer.

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Another remarkable Cellar Selection from Bad Man’s very own personal cellar.  I’ve been sitting on this wine for 7 years now, stored at room temperature in three different un-air-conditioned and relatively un-heated apartment/townhouse/houses, but it was tucked away in a bag inside a box in a dark closet so the temperature swings were kept to a minimum.  It would have been an interesting experience to open it next to a bottle of the same vintage that had been stored perfectly at 55 degrees Fahrenheit 55% humidity and unmoved for its entire life, but I couldn’t afford another one (about $250 and up currently).

Tally-Ho came over and generously brought a 2005 A. Rafanelli Cabernet Sauvignon so we could do a little old-world/new-world show-down.

Date
May 22, 2009, A.D.

Contenders
A. Rafanelli 2005 Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, unfiltered Cabernet Sauvignon ($50)
Château Haut-Brion 1999 Pessac-Léognan Bordeaux Rouge ($120 in 2002)

Tasted blind, as always

Tasting Notes
Château Haut-Brion 1999:  Fairly pronounced nose of musty oak, framing a toasty warm caressing spiciness with some wet horse funk (but in a good way).  At first it seemed to have a VA component with that effervescence that I don’t care for at all, but over time it came together.  Tobacco sting on the lips, medium to full-bodied with an expansive presence across the front of the palate, tasting of dusty bittersweet chocolate in the mouth, then softening into a lasting finish.  Bright acid, dark currant fruit, dusty cocoa - also some bright red cherry that gave me pause to remark how this was a Zin drinkers Cab (ugh!).  That being said, it was certainly about the least austere Bordeaux I’ve ever had - there is no absence of fruit here.  She definitely has a presence - a stand-up wine with balanced power and finesse.

A. Rafanelli 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon:  Grabs you with green bell pepper and vegetalness that I can’t stand but it wore down to being only casually annoying over the hours.  Grainy tannins, almost sandy yet plush; it does lay down on the tongue.  Has great weight, with a rich layered mouthfeel.  A coating quality with thickness; accessible dark fruit.  Perfectly balanced acidity.  No angles, a well proportioned wine.  Very New World, this is a no-nuance show-girl style offering.  The finish doesn’t linger - wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am and it’s gone - all flannel pajama.

Conclusion
These were both terrific wines, but then again at their unobtainable and high-end price points I don’t feel the need to rush out and buy more.  Still, the experience was spectacular; these were both remarkable specimens admirably showcasing the heights to which wine can aspire.

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For the month of May, 2000, the Bad Man is picking the ‘97 Lewis Cabernet Sauvignon.  With all the hype and sudden price acceleration regarding the overrated Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages, a much more intense wine can be found in the Lewis Cabernet Sauvignon.  Full chewy rich body of the blackest fruit flow under the heady alcoholic nose of leather, tar, and earth giving way to an awesome finish that keeps you coming back for more.  This inky black monster is what good Cab is all about.  I tasted it beside its equally impressive sister Merlot.  $60.

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Arrowood Vineyards ($3) - 10:00 - 16:30 - Beautiful Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Chardonnay.  Elegant new tasting room with marble counter and fireplace make this a stress-free stop between Sonoma and Santa Rosa.  Consistently a winner in blind tastings across all their varietals, this winery is a top Sonoma estate.

Christopher Creek Winery - 11:00 - 17:00 - Petite Sirah at its finest.  Great Syrah and Chardonnay too.  Recent change in wine maker gives rise to watch this one carefully, but hopefully it will remain consistent.

Matanzas Creek Winery - 10:00 - 16:30 - Awesome Merlot, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc.  Lots ‘o lilac to boot.

A. Rafanelli Winery - Call 707.433.1385 - Great Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel.  Tiny tastes from the Wine Nazi well worth the psychological abuse.

Ravenswood Winery - 10:30 - 16:00 - Tannic austere Zinfandels, plus Merlots, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay.  No Wimpy Wines motif is a little commercial, but hey, they sure deliver the product.

Ridge/Lytton Springs Winery - 11:00 - 16:00 - Awesome Zinfandel Mecca.  Nothing more can be said than that.

Topolos at Russian River Vineyards - 11:00 - 17:30 - Great funky Zinfandels, cool vibe.  Go upstairs for a beautiful local lunch or dinner and order their wine at normal cost.

[Wow - good times! - ed.]

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