About Me
- Eric C. Maczko
- I've been part of Pine Ridge Winery's Culinary Staff for 7 years. In 2003 I took over the Executive Chef Position and have been pairing food and wine together in a creative environment every day since. I am a Certified Sommelier through The Court of Master Sommeliers and hope to gain my Advanced in the coming year. My love of wine, food and literature are the fuel behind this little site and sharing my experience is my gift. Each year I take a little time to craft my own wine, so as to humble myself. It is a pleasure to sample the hard work and dedication of these so many talented wine professionals.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Wines Tasted April 5, 2010
Jamek - Stein Am Rain - Kamptal - Niederosterreich - Federspiel - Gruner Veltliner - 2006 - $16 - (Classic, Food Wine) - A pale green/straw wine with some gas evident and medium viscosity. A slightly floral nose with orchard fruits and lemo peel, but with a sea shell/chalky quality. Acids were moderate+ but since the wine had an underlying sweetness, it seemed less so. More viscous than its 12.5% alc. label, yet delicate as any GV. Lacking a bit in the vegetal department, but that should bode well for the fruit-seekers who shun Gruner for precisely such a reason.
Hafner - Alexander Valley - Sonoma - Chardonnay - 2006 - $16 - (Modern, Great Buy) - A rich butterscotch, leesy, orchard fruit-rich wine with obvious ML/Barrel ferment qualitits. A great buy for any consumer seeking a traditional California chardonnay with these qualities.
Norton - Mendoza - Argentina - Malbec - Reserva - 2006 - $16 - (Modern/Classic, Great Buy) - If Mendoza makes classic malbec, then this is smack dab in the thick of it, and a price that is fair in every way. A black/purple/fucsha wine of considerable viscosity and an opacticity that defines midnight. Ripe blackberry, black raspberry, black plum fruit leed off for a clean-up crew of: cocoa, melted chocolate ganache and fresh brewed coffee. Noticable oak presence is integrated and lushly-sweet. A mouthfull of roasted fruits, cocoa and chocolate layer on until it's almost too much, then the dryness sets in and acidity refreshes the tongue. A drinkers wine, unless you've got grilled sausage ready to go.
Willamette Valley Vineyards - Willamewtte Valley - Pinot Noir - Barrel Select - 2007 - $25 - (Old World, Food Wine) - Not a favorite of mine, mostly due to what it lacks...it was too Old World for me to believe 2007 could produce such a green, stemmy wine, even in 2007. That said, it was a pale red wine with a red/ruby rim and low viscosity. The nose had such a dillyness and tart aromas of early picked strawberries and cranberries that I really thought this was a 2004 Beaune Village wine (tart, green and stemmy, sorry 2004). Very good if you're a Burg Hound looking into Oregon for the first time or just hate Cali Pinots because they are too ripe and fat.
Castello Banfi - Chianti Classico - Reserva - 2006 - $16 - (Classic, Great Buy) - A beautiful ruby clear color with a ruby rim. The nose attacks with ripe almost candied red cherry, cherry Life-Savers, red currant and ripe strawberry with limestone, fennel, rose petal and dried herb characteristics. Turns less ripe on the palette, in the classic Classico way, to tart red fruits and plum pit notes with limestone texture to fine but persistant tannins and fresh acids. A great bargain for dinner tonight if you plan on pasta with ground beef tomato sauce and basil...as simple as I can make it...
Wines Tasted April 2, 2010
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