Wine Blogging Wednesday #36: Let’s Get Naked
Wednesday, August 8th, 2007Here I am, already breaking my own rules after only a couple days. But Wine Blogging Wednesday #36 is upon us— the three-year anniversary—no less…and the other blog isn’t live yet. So my notes must live here for now, despite the fact this has nothing to do with Rosenblum.
Lenn, the eminent founder, picked a fantastic theme: naked Chardonnay. Why is it perfect? Other than the fact that my southern drawl really shows when I say the word ‘nekkid,’ I am a big fan of Chardonnay minus any oak. For years I avoided the grape completely, fearing that buttery richness which so many wineries (especially in California) take over the top. Now, granted, give me some crab legs with a ramekin of heated butter, and that match is made in heaven. But that particular style overpowers most other food. Therefore, I say, “Undress the Chardonnay!”
Frantic that I would miss this WBW as I did the last two, I looked around Trader Joe’s as I was picking up a few groceries for the week. In the Chardonnay section, I only saw one unoaked version for almost $40, out of my budget right now. But then lightning struck,and I went to the Australia section (where they tend to like that style), and found the 2005 Evans & Tate Underground Series Unwooded Chardonnay for a mere $3.99. Four dollars: could it be any good? Well, I think it’s fair to middlin’ –at least– when considering the price. Other details: screwcap with alcohol of 14.5%. Lemon, apple, and wet stone on the nose, with more of the same on the palate. I also detected small amounts of cream (result of malolactic fermentation and not oak, I’m guessing) as well as some grassy notes. Dry, but not very acidic.
According to the website, Evans & Tate seems to make most of their wines with grapes from Margaret River, but this particular wine had Western Australia on the label. I couldn’t find any news about the Underground Series, but it seems to be their less expensive wines perhaps because the grapes are coming from other areas. Regardless, the name sounds fun, as if it were more elusive and harder to find. The information is, anyway. I saw this wine listed on other websites from $8-10. So, if you’re gonna get this one, definitely get it at Trader Joe’s.
Wine Blogging Wednesday got away from me this time. When picking up a bottle of wine after a long day of work, I knew there was more to it than just grabbing something from Languedoc-Roussillon but could not remember the specifics. Hopefully, 
The bottle that followed me home this time was 2005 Chapelle du Bois Syrah. Syrah comes in as the third most-planted grape, after Carignan and Grenache. Though the Languedoc produces the most Vin de Table, this particular wine is Vin de Pays. However, this also seems to be the region most likely to have the AC qualifications ignored in favor of making good wine without the fuss. This particular wine had notes of bell pepper and cherry on the nose. The palate was fairly hot initially, though the heat quickly subsided. It very fruity, with cherry and currant, and what I first attributed to dirt turned out to be more like gravel. I enjoyed it, especially for that price, but the wine did not go well with my BBQ chicken pizza. Perhaps the big, spicy California Syrahs I’m used to clouded my pairing abilities. But I can’t hold that against this one.
Having already decided I would use wines from the Thomas Fogarty tasting menu– due to budget constraints– it seemed obvious (suddenly, as a light bulb went off on a foggy Saturday afternoon) to enlist the help of customers who came in. Therefore, I made the comparison between the 2003 Thomas Fogarty Chardonnay and the 2003 Thomas Fogarty Reserve Chardonnay a blind one for myself and my guinea pigs.
I chose those particular Santa Cruz Mountains wines–even though it was the last random bottle of the regular and the reserve’s almost gone–because they were the best controlled comparison. The two wines were both blended from the same four vineyards on our mountaintop estate. Both went through 
Tonight I made a loose version of Shepherd’s Pie by browning ground lamb, then adding chopped onions, carrots, and garlic. A little flour and red wine (yes, from a box) then poured into a pie crust and topped with thinly sliced potatoes and Irish cheese. The food definitely brought out more from the Shiraz, especially as the pie was heavily peppered. Still. 
The first wine I tried is already dear to me. The Coppola ‘Sofia’ Blanc de Blancs is one of my favorite sparkling wines. (See 
At $14.99 from Bevmo, the 
The first was the 2004 Eventide Cellar Shiraz ($15 from K & L) from Wellington, South Africa.(100% Shiraz, 12 months in American oak) It was pleasant enough, with aromas and flavors of pepper, raspberry, clove, and eucalyptus. Perhaps part of the problem was my lackluster meal, but I wasn’t extremely excited about this one. Less than 24 hours later, I retasted to find the wine smoother, with more spice and the suggestion of cocoa.
The other wine I reviewed was The Black Chook ($17 from Beltramo’s), a NV sparkling Shiraz from Southeastern Australia. From what I could find, it’s made by Woop Woop Wines, and much of the fruit comes from the McLaren Vale. No info on percentages, except that it was made from mainly 3-yr-old Shiraz, with a bit of newer grapes to add generous helpings of fruit. When trying to make sure this was mostly Shiraz, I discovered ‘chook’ means ‘chicken,’ which seems rather appropriate considering my 
Since Michael Martella inspired my interest in the first place, I’ll review the 2003 Martella Mendocino ‘Fairbairn Ranch’ Syrah first. It’s made with Demeter-certified grapes that come from a vineyard owned by Joe and Julie Golden, including 5% Petite Syrah. I love this wine because it’s always changing. Sometimes I get black pepper, raspberry, and plum. Later I might get a little tobacco and cedar. Then another time I’ll find licorice and tea. Whatever flavors jump out, the strong tannins are consistent– making this one that you want to drink half the first night and save the rest for later–to see what else you can find. 
