Showing posts with label wine bar Los Angeles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wine bar Los Angeles. Show all posts

Monday, May 5, 2014

Birthday Wine: Sagrantino - You Shouldn't Have, Glad You Did

Birthday dinners have come and gone for me for quite some time now.  Some are more memorable than others, for different reasons.  One thing that always sets a birthday dinner - or any dinner, for that matter - apart is the presence of good company.  At my most recent birthday dinner, my lovely wife was my dining companion, so it’s guaranteed to be one I’ll remember forever.

The locale for this dinner was special, too.  3Twenty Wine Lounge - named for its address on South La Brea in Los Angeles - is a place I discovered in 2011, when it was still nearly brand new.  I wandered in one Saturday afternoon to find proprietor Edgar Poureshagh all alone and more than ready to let the wine flow from his by-the-pour wine dispenser.  He loves to talk about wine, and we did so until he had to busy himself for the evening clientele.  He’s not so alone anymore, by the way.  3Twenty has become a very popular stop for diners, wine lovers and Yelpers in the La Brea/mid-Wilshire area.

Edgar is a great friend, and he gave me a very nice bottle of wine for my birthday.  A 2003 vintage of Tabarrini Montefalco Colle Grimaldesco Sagrantino, for which I can’t thank him enough.  It’s always nice to get wine as a gift, especially when it is this good.  The Tabarrini website explains that, “Colle Grimaldesco is the brand that the Tabarrini Family reserve for their highest quality wines.”  This one certainly lives up to the billing.

The ‘03 Tabarrini Montefalco Colle Grimaldesco Sagrantino is made from 100% Sagrantino grapes, harvested from ten- to 15-year-old vineyards in the Umbrian community of Montefalco.  The wine is soaked on the grape skins for 30 days and aged in oak for 30 months.  Another six months - in the bottle - and this baby is good to go.  13.5% abv.

This Italian's nose is quite expressive, showing off smoky blackberries layered with tobacco, leather and tar.  The oak spices which adorn the fragrance are generous, but not even close to overdone.  The palate is dark and brooding, with amazing acidity and sweet tannins.  It is extremely full in the mouth and long on the finish, a pleasure to drink.  Cheers, Edgar.


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Friday, April 25, 2014

South African Wine: Ken Forrester Petit Chenin Blanc 2012 , Stellenbosch

Holidays in my family and my wife's family are polar opposites.  When I was growing up, my family spent holidays at home, at rest, doing as little as possible - except for Mom, who was expected to feed everyone.  There was always a lot of sitting around, talking.  That's still true today, except he responsibility of preparing food for the feast has fallen to younger family members.

In my wife's family, holidays are just that - a clean and total break from the routine, whatever that happens to be.  On holidays you'll find them at restaurants, movies, public events - they stay as busy as little celebrating bees.  It is my suspicion they do this to avoid sitting around, talking.  That usually leads to disagreements, which lead to arguments, which culminate in fights.  Better they keep themselves busy when everyone is idle and spoiling for something to do.

One fine holiday, my wife had the bug to go to a movie.  I agreed, on the condition we go to the theater that features a bar down the hall.  Fortunately, she thought that was a great idea.  Agreement is a beautiful thing, and a glass of wine facilitates sitting around and talking.

At said bar, aptly named The Wine Bar, I was moved to order a wine from South Africa, shown on the menu as a Petit Chenin Blanc.   I asked the waiter about a grape known as Petit Chenin Blanc, only to find out that Petit is the name of the wine.  The grape is that same Chenin Blanc they love to call Steen in South Africa.

The wine hails from Stellenbosch, in the Western Cape appellation, on the little spit of land that also contains Capetown.  Ken Forrester Vineyards boasts that they have been around since 1689, which is a long time to be doing anything.  The grapes for the Petit line are not actually from the Forrester estate - they are negoçiant grapes, sourced from other growers.

At 13.5% abv, the wine's alcohol content isn't at all presumptuous and the $9 price tag is a pretty good by-the-glass price.  A humorous side note on the website claims the wine's aging potential to be "half an hour with the cap off, then reach for the next bottle!"

Petit Chenin Blanc shows a straw color in the glass, with a green tint that makes it look as fresh as a daisy.  There is a very herbal nose featuring salinity and savory white pepper aromas.  The palate also shows savory salinity, with the pear and quince flavors practically bowled over by that wonderful savory note and a refreshing acidity.  A medium finish lets the herbal notes linger.


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