BeerAdvocate.com named Dilly Deli Wines & Gourmet
one of the Top 50 Beer Bars in America!!!
On April 7th, BeerAdvocate.com (one of the top internet sites devoted to quality beer) released their Top 50 Beer Bars in America! We are extremely pleased and proud to announce that Dilly Deli Wines & Gourmet was #43 on that list, and the only one named in all of Ohio, Indiana, or Kentucky!
From the BeerAdvocate.com release: "Beer bars provide direct support for the craft beer industry and aid in its continued growth by raising consumer awareness and presenting beer in unique ways. Beer bars actually care about the beer they sell, it shows, and consumers grow to appreciate and share this passion." The list was generated from over 7,000 reviews of nearly 2,500 bars, and took into account the overall ratings as well as the number of reviews. "While the list certainly isn't the end all and be all, [we] believe that it's an accurate and awesome snapshot of the best beer bars in America," noted Todd Alstrom, Co-Founder of BeerAdvocate.com.
We are certainly aware of other great beer bars in our three states, so we are humbled and thankful that our customers thought enough of us to give us the reviews they did! And if anything, it challenges us to do more and get even better! As BeerAdvocate says: "All hail the beer bar!"
Saturday, April 16, 2005
Friday, April 15, 2005
Saturday Tastings Return!!!
WINETASTINGS EVERY SATURDAY!!
Regular weekend winetastings have returned! Every Saturday from 12 until 3 in the afternoon we will welcome a special guest to the store for a casual shop winetasting! You can taste four wines as you shop or have lunch, AND if you have a favorite, you can enjoy a full glass of the wine at a special low price! (It's not enough for us that we offer 20 wines by the glass already--now you have four more options every Saturday!)
It's a great way to try new wines on a regular basis, as well as an oasis of relaxation in between your other weekend errands!
Every Saturday from Noon until at least 3pm, or until the open bottles run out!
Regular weekend winetastings have returned! Every Saturday from 12 until 3 in the afternoon we will welcome a special guest to the store for a casual shop winetasting! You can taste four wines as you shop or have lunch, AND if you have a favorite, you can enjoy a full glass of the wine at a special low price! (It's not enough for us that we offer 20 wines by the glass already--now you have four more options every Saturday!)
It's a great way to try new wines on a regular basis, as well as an oasis of relaxation in between your other weekend errands!
Every Saturday from Noon until at least 3pm, or until the open bottles run out!
April 9 Wine Tasting Report
This weekend we welcomed Maureen Hunley of Vanguard Wines, who featured some great values as well as one great rarity!
2002 Terres Falmet Cinsault, a hearty red from the south of France, and always a stunning value ($9.99) and hugely popular at any tasting it has appeared, and this was no exception! Blue fruit and long, pure flavors make this a taster's favorite.
2003 Domaine des Cassagnoles, a crisp white also from southern France, a clean juicy blend of Ugni Blanc (also known as Trebbiano) and Gros Manseng perfect for summer patios and light wallets ($6.99)!
And the rarity: Also from Terres Falmet, the 2003 Viognier, hand harvested at tiny yields of only 1/2 ton per acre from a plot less that 1-1/2 acres big (do the math - less than a ton of grapes!) to produce only 125 cases for the entire world! 25 cases came to service Ohio and Kentucky, and NONE can be found in Covington, Newport, or Bellevue. This is a beautiful, moving wine, we have two cases available and this tasting was probably your only opportunity to taste before purchasing it! At $27.99 it's not cheap but considering the quality and rarity, still a bargain. We sold plenty of it, though--almost HALF of our allocation--so you agreed with us! If you missed out, we still have some more for now, so let us know if you want some.
2002 Armador Cabernet Sauvignon from the Odfjell Vineyards from this side of the pond in Chile's Maipo Valley! This sturdy little cab reminds me of a baby Bordeaux in it's personality, and at $10.99 is another exceptional bargain!
We love these wines, and judging by the sales of them on Saturday, you did too. This next Saturday, April 16, we'll host Todd Wiggs of Wine Trends, who'll pour two wines from British Columbia (!), one from Spain, and a delicious California Pinot Noir.
Tastings are from Noon until 3pm at the store in Mariemont.
2002 Terres Falmet Cinsault, a hearty red from the south of France, and always a stunning value ($9.99) and hugely popular at any tasting it has appeared, and this was no exception! Blue fruit and long, pure flavors make this a taster's favorite.
2003 Domaine des Cassagnoles, a crisp white also from southern France, a clean juicy blend of Ugni Blanc (also known as Trebbiano) and Gros Manseng perfect for summer patios and light wallets ($6.99)!
And the rarity: Also from Terres Falmet, the 2003 Viognier, hand harvested at tiny yields of only 1/2 ton per acre from a plot less that 1-1/2 acres big (do the math - less than a ton of grapes!) to produce only 125 cases for the entire world! 25 cases came to service Ohio and Kentucky, and NONE can be found in Covington, Newport, or Bellevue. This is a beautiful, moving wine, we have two cases available and this tasting was probably your only opportunity to taste before purchasing it! At $27.99 it's not cheap but considering the quality and rarity, still a bargain. We sold plenty of it, though--almost HALF of our allocation--so you agreed with us! If you missed out, we still have some more for now, so let us know if you want some.
2002 Armador Cabernet Sauvignon from the Odfjell Vineyards from this side of the pond in Chile's Maipo Valley! This sturdy little cab reminds me of a baby Bordeaux in it's personality, and at $10.99 is another exceptional bargain!
We love these wines, and judging by the sales of them on Saturday, you did too. This next Saturday, April 16, we'll host Todd Wiggs of Wine Trends, who'll pour two wines from British Columbia (!), one from Spain, and a delicious California Pinot Noir.
Tastings are from Noon until 3pm at the store in Mariemont.
Saturday, October 16, 2004
Today's Tasting!
If you're reading this, you probably missed out on our tasting this weekend. The wines today are FAB-ulous, but to give you some insider info, here's what they are, and some brief tasting notes. It'll be like you were there!:
Lindauer Non-Vintage Brut
This New Zealand sparkling wine, normally $17 is a steal from us--until the price goes back up--for $12. It's dry, pointed and full of character. It's so pleasing and easy to drink--it has touches of limes, grapefruit and roses so it's going to be compelling to many, and that's as it should be!
Château Noël St.-Laurent 2002 Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc
People came in asking for the rare wine we were talking about, and this is it. 100 cases of it were made (for the world to share). It's a blend of Rhône Valley white varietals, and it's quite seductive. It has a perfumed nose reminiscent of orange flowers and lime shortbread. The flavors--really unique--are equally attention getting: hints of fig, citrus, shortbread, and a lightly nutty finish. Exceptional wine, beats the crap out of the Conundrum and it's cheaper ($20)!
An 2000 Negra
Spanish wine--that's where the bargains are. Even at $35, this is some kind of wine! The wine is deep and intense, but it has qualities that one usually finds in fabulously expensive Bordeaux. An equivalent wine from that storied region might sell for $250. Coffee cream chocolate, violets, asphalt, and black raspberry chip combine as the principals in the beautiful, please-God-let-me-keep-smelling-this-wine aromatics. The flavors start with a cherry, raspberry canvas colored by black tea, tobacco, spice box, bavarian cream, and lavender--particularly on the finish, which is the Energizer bunny of finishes: you won't want to talk after swallowing for fear of losing the haunting quality of those flavors too soon! All this from a wine from Majorca (Mallorca)!!! That little island in the Mediterranean that the French and Spanish battled over for so long? Yes, and clearly there's more in Majorca than just summer homes for the British upper class! Incidentally, the bottle we tasted from was opened on 10/13, and it was still outstanding on 10/16, further evidence that it's going to be a loooooong-lived wine!
Thorn-Clarke Shotfire Ridge 2003 Shiraz Barossa Valley
Like a super sludgy Shiraz smoothie! The depth and velvety-ness are extraordinary. Like most Aussie wine, it's not nuanced, but who cares? It was meant for immediate enjoyment (or within 5 years), and let me tell you what kind of enjoying you can do with this! While I'm sure many can think of interesting things to do with this wine and ice cream, it would be a shame to sully it with anything other than your saliva! It shows tarry black plum and currant fruit with bittersweet chocolate on the back end, with a host of spices and herbs unfolding throughout the finish. This is a limited production wine, though we should have some for a few weeks. Don't miss out!!
MBM
Lindauer Non-Vintage Brut
This New Zealand sparkling wine, normally $17 is a steal from us--until the price goes back up--for $12. It's dry, pointed and full of character. It's so pleasing and easy to drink--it has touches of limes, grapefruit and roses so it's going to be compelling to many, and that's as it should be!
Château Noël St.-Laurent 2002 Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc
People came in asking for the rare wine we were talking about, and this is it. 100 cases of it were made (for the world to share). It's a blend of Rhône Valley white varietals, and it's quite seductive. It has a perfumed nose reminiscent of orange flowers and lime shortbread. The flavors--really unique--are equally attention getting: hints of fig, citrus, shortbread, and a lightly nutty finish. Exceptional wine, beats the crap out of the Conundrum and it's cheaper ($20)!
An 2000 Negra
Spanish wine--that's where the bargains are. Even at $35, this is some kind of wine! The wine is deep and intense, but it has qualities that one usually finds in fabulously expensive Bordeaux. An equivalent wine from that storied region might sell for $250. Coffee cream chocolate, violets, asphalt, and black raspberry chip combine as the principals in the beautiful, please-God-let-me-keep-smelling-this-wine aromatics. The flavors start with a cherry, raspberry canvas colored by black tea, tobacco, spice box, bavarian cream, and lavender--particularly on the finish, which is the Energizer bunny of finishes: you won't want to talk after swallowing for fear of losing the haunting quality of those flavors too soon! All this from a wine from Majorca (Mallorca)!!! That little island in the Mediterranean that the French and Spanish battled over for so long? Yes, and clearly there's more in Majorca than just summer homes for the British upper class! Incidentally, the bottle we tasted from was opened on 10/13, and it was still outstanding on 10/16, further evidence that it's going to be a loooooong-lived wine!
Thorn-Clarke Shotfire Ridge 2003 Shiraz Barossa Valley
Like a super sludgy Shiraz smoothie! The depth and velvety-ness are extraordinary. Like most Aussie wine, it's not nuanced, but who cares? It was meant for immediate enjoyment (or within 5 years), and let me tell you what kind of enjoying you can do with this! While I'm sure many can think of interesting things to do with this wine and ice cream, it would be a shame to sully it with anything other than your saliva! It shows tarry black plum and currant fruit with bittersweet chocolate on the back end, with a host of spices and herbs unfolding throughout the finish. This is a limited production wine, though we should have some for a few weeks. Don't miss out!!
MBM
Chocolate Bock is Back!
We just received our allotment of Chocolate Bock, the super rich super smooth seasonal temptation from Sam Adams! This stuff disappeared in hours last year when Enquirer beer writer Ed Westemeyer called it a great gift for Sweetest Day! There's only a few hours of Sweetest Day left but don't let that stop you from getting this special ale. Smooth, rich and dark, with an intensely robust flavor and creamy flavor enhanced with a special blend of Scharffen Berger chocolate. It comes in a 750ml bottle with a distinctive embossed pewter label, and makes a great gift for any occasion, especially to yourself for making it through another week! Just $13.99 a bottle while supplies last - don't wait! CTW
Friday, October 08, 2004
Draft Beer Lineup!
Unless you're really fast, you'll have missed the last few ounces of Stone Russian Imperial Stout by the time you read this! Our first 100 point beer (RateBeer.com) on draft lasted longer than I thought, mostly because I didn't allow pints and growlers! Spread the love around, you know. When it blows on the next glass or two, here's what we'll have on tap for the next few weeks!
1) Reissdorf Kolsch ( Germany)
2) Smithwick's Ale (Ireland)
3) LaChouffe (Belgium)
4) Old Speckled Hen (England)
5) Saison Dupont (Belgium)
6) Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold (Cleveland)
7) Barrelhouse Oktoberfest (Cincinnati's own)
8) Stone IPA (San Diego) - the return of the standard!
9) Unibroue Ephemere Apple (Quebec)
10) Great Lakes Nosferatu (Cleveland) - Burning River on steroids!
Come on in for a pint or three!
1) Reissdorf Kolsch ( Germany)
2) Smithwick's Ale (Ireland)
3) LaChouffe (Belgium)
4) Old Speckled Hen (England)
5) Saison Dupont (Belgium)
6) Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold (Cleveland)
7) Barrelhouse Oktoberfest (Cincinnati's own)
8) Stone IPA (San Diego) - the return of the standard!
9) Unibroue Ephemere Apple (Quebec)
10) Great Lakes Nosferatu (Cleveland) - Burning River on steroids!
Come on in for a pint or three!
Thursday, October 07, 2004
Top 25 Available at the Dilly!
With the addition of AleSmith, we knew we had some of the best beers in the world in stock, but we didn't realize how far we had come until we took a look at RateBeer.com's list of the Top 100 Brewers in the World! Compiled and released every six months, the most recent list came out in June. Of the Top 25, nine are not available to us in the state of Ohio, mostly for distribution reasons. For example, number 19 New Belgium Brewing, makers of the popular Fat Tire, only send beer as far as St. Louis and are at least several years away from being able to expand their territory. So what are the Top 25? Here we go:
1) AleSmith, San Diego - in stock!
2) Three Floyds, Munster, IN - in stock!
3) Stone Brewing, San Diego - in stock!
4) Kalamazoo Brewing (Bell's), Kalamazoo, MI - in stock!
5) Victory Brewing, Downington, PA - in stock!
Note how the top five in the world are USA breweries! This list ebbs and flows as breweries release new beers. In some older lists foreign breweries dominated. It speaks volumes about the gain in quality by domestic brewers!
6) Fullers, London England - in stock!
7) Westvleteren, Belgium - available every once in a while, in stock when we can!
8) Southampton Publick House - Long Island brewpub, not available in Ohio
9) Rogue Ales, Newport OR - in stock!
10) Pizza Port, Solana Beach, CA - brewpub, not available in Ohio - but I've been there!
11) New Glarus Brewing, WI - not available in Ohio
12) De Dolle Brewers, Belgium - in stock!
13) Dogfish Head, Milton Park, DE - in stock!
14) Unibroue, Quebec, CA - in stock!
15) Old Dominion Brewing, Ashburn, VA - in stock!
Keep in mind that we don't carry all beers from all brewers in stock at all times!
Rounding out the Top 25:
16) Bear Republic Brewing; Healdsburg, CA - not available in Ohio
17) Full Sail Brewing; Hood River, OR - not available in Ohio
18) Brasserie Cantillon; Belgium - in stock!
19) New Belgium; Ft. Collins, CO - not available in Ohio
20) Great Lakes Brewing; Cleveland - in stock!
21) Ayinger; Germany - in stock!
22) Samuel Smiths; England - in stock!
23) Fish Brewing Co; Olympia, WA - not available in Ohio
24) Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. - in stock!
25) Smuttynose Brewing; Portsmouth, NH - was in stock but no longer available!
In addition, we have 13 of the second 25, and overall fully half of the Top 100 Breweries in the World are represented at the Dilly Deli! And you know we have a great tap selection, as we have poured beers from No's. 3, 4, 12, 13, 14, 20 and 24 from the list above!
It's also telling that none of the big three American brewers are anywhere close to this list. And what is Anheuser Busch countering with? A souped up 'energy' version of Budweiser laced with guarano (sp?), ginseng and caffeine! Sounds yummy!
OK, we're done patting ourselves on the back now! - CTW
1) AleSmith, San Diego - in stock!
2) Three Floyds, Munster, IN - in stock!
3) Stone Brewing, San Diego - in stock!
4) Kalamazoo Brewing (Bell's), Kalamazoo, MI - in stock!
5) Victory Brewing, Downington, PA - in stock!
Note how the top five in the world are USA breweries! This list ebbs and flows as breweries release new beers. In some older lists foreign breweries dominated. It speaks volumes about the gain in quality by domestic brewers!
6) Fullers, London England - in stock!
7) Westvleteren, Belgium - available every once in a while, in stock when we can!
8) Southampton Publick House - Long Island brewpub, not available in Ohio
9) Rogue Ales, Newport OR - in stock!
10) Pizza Port, Solana Beach, CA - brewpub, not available in Ohio - but I've been there!
11) New Glarus Brewing, WI - not available in Ohio
12) De Dolle Brewers, Belgium - in stock!
13) Dogfish Head, Milton Park, DE - in stock!
14) Unibroue, Quebec, CA - in stock!
15) Old Dominion Brewing, Ashburn, VA - in stock!
Keep in mind that we don't carry all beers from all brewers in stock at all times!
Rounding out the Top 25:
16) Bear Republic Brewing; Healdsburg, CA - not available in Ohio
17) Full Sail Brewing; Hood River, OR - not available in Ohio
18) Brasserie Cantillon; Belgium - in stock!
19) New Belgium; Ft. Collins, CO - not available in Ohio
20) Great Lakes Brewing; Cleveland - in stock!
21) Ayinger; Germany - in stock!
22) Samuel Smiths; England - in stock!
23) Fish Brewing Co; Olympia, WA - not available in Ohio
24) Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. - in stock!
25) Smuttynose Brewing; Portsmouth, NH - was in stock but no longer available!
In addition, we have 13 of the second 25, and overall fully half of the Top 100 Breweries in the World are represented at the Dilly Deli! And you know we have a great tap selection, as we have poured beers from No's. 3, 4, 12, 13, 14, 20 and 24 from the list above!
It's also telling that none of the big three American brewers are anywhere close to this list. And what is Anheuser Busch countering with? A souped up 'energy' version of Budweiser laced with guarano (sp?), ginseng and caffeine! Sounds yummy!
OK, we're done patting ourselves on the back now! - CTW
Thursday, September 23, 2004
AleSmith Beers are Here!
AleSmith, the #1 brewer in the world, according to RateBeer.com's latest June rankings, is now available at the Dilly Deli for the very first time! We have in stock: Speedway Stout, Old Numbskull Barleywine, Horny Devil, Wee Heavy, and Grand Cru! All are in heavy 750ml champagne style bottles and retail for, I'll admit, a hefty $12.99. But considering they are all 9% to 12% abv, think like you're buying a reasonably priced bottle of wine, when in reality you're getting one of the very best beers in the world!
Reverie Dinner a Big Success!
Tuesday Sept 21st: We welcomed Reverie Winery to the state of Ohio for the first time with a fantastic four course dinner prepared by Chef Richard Hargy and his staff! Joining us was Andrew Kiken, whose parents founded and own the winery, who entertained us with stories from the winery and the history!
Reception
Sjoeblum Chauvignon Crystal Sparkling
Daydream Sauvignon Blanc
Gourmet Cheese and Canape Assortment
First Course
Daydream Chardonnay
Sauted Sea Scallops in Normandy Sea Salt Butter
Second Course
Reverie Cabernet Franc
Reverie Cabernet Sauvignon
Maple Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Pecans and Wild Rice Blend
Third Course
A.S. Kiken Diamond Mountain Red
Reverie Special Reserve
Petite Fillet with Caramelized Onion Sauce;
Garlic Mashed Poatatoes, and Carrots with Fig Syrup
Dessert
JC Cellars Late Harvest Viognier
Apricot Almond Bread Pudding
This was the last event of an incredibly busy three week period, but what a capper! Reverie Winery is on Diamond Mountain, with some very good (and expensive) neighbors, such as Von Strasser, Diamond Creek, and the famous Three Palms Vineyard. They are getting great 90+ point reviews from Parker, and getting better! Ohio is only the tenth state to receive distribution of Reverie wines (thanks to us, but that's another story), and we are one of the only outlets in Ohio for Reverie wines!
Daydream is the label for their white wines (Reverie is French for fantasy daydream - get it?), and the whites are made from purchased fruit. Both are excellent, with a balanced forward style and vivid varietal flavors. They're also well priced at $17.99!
Reverie reds are all estate wines, meaning they are grown, made and bottled at the Reverie Winery on Diamond Mountain. The 2001 Cabernet Franc (~$43) is a star in the line-up, beautifully aromatic, wonderful with food (it matched the maple glazed pork perfectly), and we put it in the top three of Napa Cab Francs, along with Pride and Lang & Reed. The 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon (~$54) is more muscular, with a deeper, earthier frame, but great fruit concentration and balance for so big a wine.
The sleeper star is the 2000 A.S. Kiken Diamond Mountain Red! Named after Andrew, this is truly an ass kicken' (get it?) full bodied bordelais blend, again with seductive aromatics you can sniff for hours and concentration you can stir with a spoon. And at $33, it's the bargain of the red line-up! Which brings us to the 2000 Special Reserve - rarely do we taste a wine that combines strength and brawn with such elegance and balance. At $70, it's certainly not cheap, but we like it better than it's neighbor at Diamond Creek, and they sell for over $200!
Keep in mind that these very special wines are (except for the Franc) from the oft-maligned 2000 vintage, but we keep finding excellent wines from that year. If they're this good now, we can hardly wait for next year!
Reverie wines are in very short supply - it's a small operation and we're the new guys on the block! If you want some (and I humbly suggest that you do), get with us and order them up! To the swift go the spoils!
Thursday, September 16, 2004
Great Australian Wines!
Last night we hosted an Australian Winemaker's Tasting! With us was Dean Hewitson, owner/winemaker of Hewitson Winery; and Sandro Mosele, winemaker for Kooyong Winery on the Mornington Peninsula of Victoria.
Oh man, the wines were great! Nine wines were poured, and there wasn't a single one that I wouldn't put on my table anytime!
Kooyong was fascinating. Their winery is on the Mornington Peninsula, way south in Victoria, literally looking over the strait to Tasmania. It's very cool there (relatively), so they don't do the big shiraz type wines - just Chardonnay and pinot noir! Available for the first time in Ohio, Sandro poured two single vineyard Chardonnays, the Mosaic and the Faultline. The vineyards are only 50 yards apart, but the soils are a bit different. Picked, fermented, barreled, made completely the same way, yet the differences were striking. Both reminded me of top-notch premier cru burgundy. The Mosaic was a little livelier, a little more forward, yet the acids were great and the flavors vibrant. The Faultline was a little fatter, with a little nuttiness and more sense of structure. Both wines are rich a creamy with complex long finishes. Here's the kicker - they both taste as if they have a good dose of malolactic fermentation on them, but no! Zero malolactic - which means the acids are fresh and stable and these wines will develop and improve for years, like a good white burgundy!
Ah, the Kooyong Pinot Noirs! Keep in mind that Pinot is not my favorite varietal, it's not what I pick to have at home unless my dinner just demands it! But this Kooyong 2000 - it is one of those wines you just sniff and sniff, it's just after ten minutes of sniffing that you realize that you haven't even sipped it yet because it smells so good and fascinating, why let it get out of your glass!?! The nose reminded me of some of the best Cotes de Beaune wines I've had - sensuous, floral, berries, earth. The palate was extremely complex and the finish smooth and long. As the evening went on, the wine developed some structure and fatness ('shoulders', one taster described) that just made it better. The other Pinot was the 2001 Haven, a single vineyard. If the 2000 Estate was a Beaune, then the Haven was a Cotes de Nuits. It too, had a beautiful nose but the spice and earth was a bigger part of it, the wine was more masculine, heavier in the mouth with a more angular tannic structure, yet not rough at all. Outstanding!
Tasters were evenly divided between the two Chards and the two Pinots. I myself liked the Mosaic Chard and the 2000 Estate Pinot!
On to the Hewitson table: Dean started us out with the new 2004 'Mermaids' Muscadelle, a lovely, delicate, DRY white wine great for lunch, before dinner, pool, deck, hot weather, before noon, brunch - we cme up with a bunch of times it would be good. Picked early to preserve the acids and then fermented dry, it only reaches 10% alcohol so it doesn't go straight to your head in that aforementioned hot weather! Get all ideas of what 'muscadelle' tastes like out of your head! This has hints of an Alsatian white to it, without, of course, the alcohol. Crisp, light, did we mention DRY?, altogether refreshing!
Hewitson's reds are what you might expect (or put another way, everything you'd wish for) from a top Aussie winery. The Miss Harry's, a Grenache/Shiraz/Mourvedre blend, was jammy and lively and exuberant, a great wine to slurp down with grilled stuff, at a party, and just plain great by itself! The Ned & Henry's Shiraz was focused, spicy, balanced, a top shiraz for the money by any standard. But the real stars of the table were the last two wines. 'Old Garden' Mourvedre is from a single vineyard which was planted in 1853 (not a typo - 1853) and is believed to be the oldest mourvedre vineyard in the world. The depth of flavor was incredible, the color, almost ebony, the concentration, well. it seemed you could taste all those years. Yet the wine was incredibly balanced, elegant almost. We had some Irish Kashel Blue cheese out and a new taste sensation was found! Like a good port or cream sherry, the acids and fruit concentration of the wine stood up to and matched the creamy blue cheese perfectly! And finally, the 'L'Oizeau' Shiraz. Dean's hallmark, at least from this tasting, is that he is able to get so much color and extract out of the grapes yet present a wine that is elegant and balanced and just tastes so darn good on it's own. And the balance, of course, makes it even better with food! So it is with the L'Oizeau Shiraz. Big fruit, tons of flavor, in the mouth the wine has a sense of being packed, and the longer you swirl or chew it, the more the different flavors unfold and reveal themselves!
All in all, a great tasting! But sad to say, these wines are not in great supply! We'll be getting as much as we can, but orders placed last night have priority and only some will able to be in stock for the holidays at the Dilly!
Oh man, the wines were great! Nine wines were poured, and there wasn't a single one that I wouldn't put on my table anytime!
Kooyong was fascinating. Their winery is on the Mornington Peninsula, way south in Victoria, literally looking over the strait to Tasmania. It's very cool there (relatively), so they don't do the big shiraz type wines - just Chardonnay and pinot noir! Available for the first time in Ohio, Sandro poured two single vineyard Chardonnays, the Mosaic and the Faultline. The vineyards are only 50 yards apart, but the soils are a bit different. Picked, fermented, barreled, made completely the same way, yet the differences were striking. Both reminded me of top-notch premier cru burgundy. The Mosaic was a little livelier, a little more forward, yet the acids were great and the flavors vibrant. The Faultline was a little fatter, with a little nuttiness and more sense of structure. Both wines are rich a creamy with complex long finishes. Here's the kicker - they both taste as if they have a good dose of malolactic fermentation on them, but no! Zero malolactic - which means the acids are fresh and stable and these wines will develop and improve for years, like a good white burgundy!
Ah, the Kooyong Pinot Noirs! Keep in mind that Pinot is not my favorite varietal, it's not what I pick to have at home unless my dinner just demands it! But this Kooyong 2000 - it is one of those wines you just sniff and sniff, it's just after ten minutes of sniffing that you realize that you haven't even sipped it yet because it smells so good and fascinating, why let it get out of your glass!?! The nose reminded me of some of the best Cotes de Beaune wines I've had - sensuous, floral, berries, earth. The palate was extremely complex and the finish smooth and long. As the evening went on, the wine developed some structure and fatness ('shoulders', one taster described) that just made it better. The other Pinot was the 2001 Haven, a single vineyard. If the 2000 Estate was a Beaune, then the Haven was a Cotes de Nuits. It too, had a beautiful nose but the spice and earth was a bigger part of it, the wine was more masculine, heavier in the mouth with a more angular tannic structure, yet not rough at all. Outstanding!
Tasters were evenly divided between the two Chards and the two Pinots. I myself liked the Mosaic Chard and the 2000 Estate Pinot!
On to the Hewitson table: Dean started us out with the new 2004 'Mermaids' Muscadelle, a lovely, delicate, DRY white wine great for lunch, before dinner, pool, deck, hot weather, before noon, brunch - we cme up with a bunch of times it would be good. Picked early to preserve the acids and then fermented dry, it only reaches 10% alcohol so it doesn't go straight to your head in that aforementioned hot weather! Get all ideas of what 'muscadelle' tastes like out of your head! This has hints of an Alsatian white to it, without, of course, the alcohol. Crisp, light, did we mention DRY?, altogether refreshing!
Hewitson's reds are what you might expect (or put another way, everything you'd wish for) from a top Aussie winery. The Miss Harry's, a Grenache/Shiraz/Mourvedre blend, was jammy and lively and exuberant, a great wine to slurp down with grilled stuff, at a party, and just plain great by itself! The Ned & Henry's Shiraz was focused, spicy, balanced, a top shiraz for the money by any standard. But the real stars of the table were the last two wines. 'Old Garden' Mourvedre is from a single vineyard which was planted in 1853 (not a typo - 1853) and is believed to be the oldest mourvedre vineyard in the world. The depth of flavor was incredible, the color, almost ebony, the concentration, well. it seemed you could taste all those years. Yet the wine was incredibly balanced, elegant almost. We had some Irish Kashel Blue cheese out and a new taste sensation was found! Like a good port or cream sherry, the acids and fruit concentration of the wine stood up to and matched the creamy blue cheese perfectly! And finally, the 'L'Oizeau' Shiraz. Dean's hallmark, at least from this tasting, is that he is able to get so much color and extract out of the grapes yet present a wine that is elegant and balanced and just tastes so darn good on it's own. And the balance, of course, makes it even better with food! So it is with the L'Oizeau Shiraz. Big fruit, tons of flavor, in the mouth the wine has a sense of being packed, and the longer you swirl or chew it, the more the different flavors unfold and reveal themselves!
All in all, a great tasting! But sad to say, these wines are not in great supply! We'll be getting as much as we can, but orders placed last night have priority and only some will able to be in stock for the holidays at the Dilly!
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