2010 Cote de Brouilly --Chateau Thivin

When I saw this in a local wine shop I couldn't help but get super giddy inside, as it immediately took me back to the time I visited that very winery in France.  It was a wine I simply could not pass up, as I recall very fond memories of my most recent trip to France to this Burgundian winery.

The photos below are ones I saved from my trip to France, circa two years ago:

Brooke's Tasting Notes:  

This 2010 Chateau Thivin, Cote de Brouilly (website here) exudes notes of red raspberries on the nose, with a slight sweet cranberry, lingering finish. I like the fact that this light-bodied, easy-tannic wine really shows the true terroir of the Gamay fruit on the Beaujolais soil from which this wine originated.

Review Date: March 30th, 2012

Region: Burgundy

SubRegion: Beaujolais

Appellation: Cote de Brouilly

Grape Variety: Gamay

Aging: In oak casks for six months

What would you pair with Gamay?


Cheers,
B

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Breaking News--I Have a Job!!

 {Jordan Chardonnay, 2008}

I wanted to share with you the exciting news! Yesterday I accepted a job offer at Jordan Winery. I will officially be working the 2012 Harvest after graduation. I'm absolutely ecstatic about this amazing opportunity and it was exactly what I was hoping for.

 {iPhone Screen shot of email I received}

I look forward to expand my knowledge in the wine industry and to learn more about premium wine production... but reality is coming closer and Spring Break is coming to an end.  A challenging last quarter at UC Davis awaits - wish me luck in my studies and getting through my advanced Enology courses.

Thank you all for your continued support of my blog!

Cheers,

B

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Tamber Bey, Napa Valley -- Wine and Cookie Tasting

image source

On a recent trip to Napa Valley, the boys and I stopped by the Tamber Bey tasting room in St. Helena. It was a real treat and a rather nice way to end the day in the Valley.  We had some promotional coupons and originally entered with the intent to taste just their wines but once we found out that we could have a side-by-side cookie-wine tasting, it was an idea too sweet to resist. ;)
Apparently they have a chef who created the cookie recipes exclusively for Tamber Bey's wines to create a perfect cookie-wine pairing.  While I'm all for pairing food and wine, (see here) the cookies were unbelievably tiny, I almost felt teased by the bite-sized portions. Then again, maybe I just have a big sweet tooth!

 {Our wine tasting line-up. Click for larger view}

I'm always a fan of a big, bold Napa Cab so naturally one of my favorites was their

 2008 Oakville Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

 {Small stack of gourmet cookies - 

the bacon cookie was unexpectedly delish!}

{Jeroboam-sized bottles in the tasting room- fun!}

Cheers,

B

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Winery Visit--Hess: When Wine & Art Meet

Hess is one pretty cool winery.

It is known in the Valley as the winery with the most extensive art collection - and it is open to the public.  Pictures are not allowed in the extensive modern-contemporary art gallery, so you'll have to see it yourself.  Mr. Donald Hess of the Hess Collection Winery chooses unique pieces from a select number of living artists whose work he supports long-term.

 

If you go, I recommend that you take a tour + tasting and peruse the gallery and even their gorgeous property. I've written a review on one of their wines I enjoyed (see this post) which is distributed widely throughout California.

Cheers,

B

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Randomized Wine Descriptors

Is that wine you're sipping leaving you with words left on the tip of your tongue? 

Bam. Meet wine phrase generator:

Create nonsensical wine reviews with this... click here- its fun!  

Cheers,

B

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Pop, Pop, Poppin Bottles with Andy Warhol

Okay, so I know this is not in recent news but maybe you might have already heard that back in 2010,  Dom Perignon did a collaboration with the Andy Warhol Foundation and produced a limited amount of colorful bottles as a tribute to the famous pop artist. And let me tell you, they are beautiful!
 
On another colorful side note, graduation is near! Today I officially registered for my commencement ceremony.  June 17th, I have my eye on you!
Champagne is awesome because its sparkly, festive, and can be used to celebrate any special occasion. Oh, and if you're ever wondering what to get me as a gift, (wink wink)... I wouldn't be opposed to a bottle of this bubbly! ;)

{Warhol- Dom poster, available here}

“The 2002 Dom Perignon is at first intensely floral, with perfumed jasmine that dominates the bouquet. With time in the glass the wine gains richness as the flavors turn decidedly riper and almost tropical. Ripe apricots, passion fruit and peaches emerge from this flashy, opulent Dom Perignon. The wine’s volume makes it approachable today, but readers in search of more complexity will want to cellar this for at least a few years to allow for some of the baby fat to drop off. Geoffroy describes the vintage as very ripe and adds that some of the Chardonnay showed the ill-effects of the hot growing season in it the somewhat burned, dehydrated fruit that came in that year. This bottle was disgorged in July, 2009. To be released summer 2010. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2032” 

96 points, Antonio Galloni – Parker’s Wine Advocate


Cheers,
B

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Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

 

There's nothing better than sharing a beautiful wine with beautiful people.  This time I had the opportunity to share this wine with my mom last weekend.  It was a special treat to try this Alexander Valley Cab from Jordan over a yummy dinner downtown with her. (Thanks again, mom!) :)

Brooke's Tasting Notes: 

This '07 Jordan Cab is pretty full-bodied, well-balanced and velvety smooth.  Hints of plum and oak aromas exude from the glass, with a long lingering yet dry finish on the tongue.  The tannins are soft, allowing this wine to be a refined, well balanced, and overall excellent wine. 

My rating:  very good (92)

Review Date: March 10th, 2012

Appellation: Alexander Valley 

Blend: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and less than 1% Malbec 

Barrel Aging: 12 months in 70% French oak and 30% American oak 

Alcohol Level: 13.5% 

Bottling Dates: July 6 - August 7, 2009 

Release Date: May 1, 2011

 

Have you tasted this wine? If so, I'd like to hear your feedback. 

Cheers,

B

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Sierra Nevada Trip

I love field trips, the ones that involve beer compliments of the brewery--don't you? Those are the best kinds of field trips. :)

{Beer samples + last couple slices of pizza}

I was lucky enough to visit the brew house in Chico as a part my Brew and Malting Science class at UCD. (A very cool class, by the way) It was a great way to apply a practical learning experience to our textbook. I was truly impressed by the brewery and its huge size - I had only been to Stone Brewery, a smaller scale craft brewery in San Diego prior to my visit at Sierra Nevada.

I'd say if you're in Chico it's defientely worth the visit. My advice? Begin with a beer sampler - it includes 4 beers of your choice for only $3. Then order your favorite! I was absoultely diggin their Persimmon Farmhouse Ale and their Ovila...mmmh!

{A lovely afternoon outside with friends}

Cheers,

B

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Signs of Spring are Here

{Potted daffodils brighten up my workspace}

I love this season for all of nature's beauty: beautiful fields of bright yellow mustard in Napa, daffodils, and warm (but not too hot) weather. Even though it's only March, Spring seems like it has already entered the neighborhood!

{Wild mustard field in front of Trefethen Vineyards}

{view from Acacia Winery}

Cheers,
B

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$15 or $150 Wine? Leave That to the Experts, Study Says

A new study shows that most of us can't taste the nuances of expensive wines.  This report from NPR is worth a read.
And if you have access to the American Journal of Viticulture and Enology (UCD students can access this site for free,  yay!), you can read the actual journal about the study, titled "Wine Expertise Predicts Taste Phenotype" seen here.

Makes you wonder as a winemaker who the target audience is: do you want to blow away Robert Parker, or are you fine selling wines that generally most people would enjoy for a good price? Definitely something to consider!

Do you think that you can tell your wines apart? Or does the $15 bottle suit your taste just fine? I'm no certified sommelier, but I'd like to think I can tell the difference (with the sensoral experience that I do have). And based on my own experience, I can admit I have expensive taste ;)
What about you?

Cheers,
B

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