Sauvignon Blanc Day with 2010 Stoneleigh Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

Apparently today is "Sauvignon Blanc Day", though if it is, the buzz hasn't been nearly as potent as last September's Cabernet Day or the Chardonnay Day of a few months ago. Hell, it hasn't been as talked about as "Merlot Day", when I got to taste and tweet about an awesome merlot from Cana's Feast. The premise behind these "_____ Day" events is to taste and talk about the featured varietal by using social media. On Twitter, users will add the "#SauvBlanc" or "SauvignonBlanc" hashtag to their tweets. This makes it easy to search for the tweeps (Twitter users) who are participating.

That didn't stop me from trying to participate, though my tasting notes and general writing style might be a bit lacking. The past two nights have seen me do overnight shifts at work, where I go in at 8pm and leave sometime between 4am and 5am. Maybe I need to start looking for other jobs! Anyone?

I opened a bottle of 2010 Stoneleigh Marlborough sauvignon blanc this afternoon while in the midst of a sleep deprived daze. This was a sample and I have been meaning to taste it for a few weeks now, "Sauvignon Blanc Day" gave me a perfect excuse. But really, do I ever need an excuse to open wine? Of course not!

The Stoneleigh comes in at 13.0% alcohol, a normal amount for New Zealand and other New World sauvignon blancs but higher than Bordeaux or Loire sauvignon blancs.

Right away the 2010 Stoneleigh smells a lot like other examples from New Zealand. The strongest scent was a grassy, herbal note. Underneath that were hints of stone fruit and a tropical aroma reminiscent of freshly sliced passion fruit. While the herbs dominate, those sweeter fruit flavors help buttress the bouquet, preventing it from descending into the hell that is overly acidic sauvignon blanc aromas.

Remember in the previous paragraph when I likened overly acidic sauvigon blanch to hell? If you like riper, more fruit oriented sauvignon blancs like St. Supery, or the JAQK "Charmed" bottling, stop reading. The 2010 Stoneleigh sauvignon blanc is an acid monster, bone dry in a there-goes-my-tooth-enamel-wait-what's-that-pain kind of way. If you successfully navigate past the acidity you're rewarded with beautifully balanced herb and tropical fruit notes with even a touch of minerality. Actually quite good, but the acidity kicks around so much that my palate, at least, felt like it needed to take a break and have some Gatorade.

I actually enjoyed this wine a lot, it's more acidic than something like a Parducci sauvignon blanc but that's what I expect out of New Zealand. Whenever I taste an acid monster, I'm reminded that sauvignon blanc does love to be paired with food, and this is a great sushi wine, or something with pasta. That acidity cuts right through rich sauces and cheese. My pairing was macaroni and cheese, one of my favorite comfort foods ever, and the wine's acidity cut through the rich cheesy goodness, keeping the meal harmoniously balanced.

For about $17 (found on wine.com), you get a top-notch New Zealand sauvignon blanc, kudos go to Stoneleigh for making a tasty wine in a tough year. B+. BUY recommendation.

This wine was a media sample for review purposes.

Beau Carufel

House of Jerky and Their Jerky Lineup!

While most of my blog is devoted to wine reviews, I do occasionally try to add in other things that interest me. You may have noted the beer blogs I've posted over the past months as well as various blogs detailing my often-futile attempts in the kitchen. In keeping with that theme, here's a blog about jerky. Most Americans are fans of jerky, and I'm sure everyone has had the common varieties you find in supermarkets and convenience stores. I grew up eating the stuff during Cub Scout and Boy Scout trips, and I must admit that it did help me get through flight school during late night sessions in the simulator and long cross country trips in a Cessna 172.

The other side of the jerky coin is the gourmet jerky, from purveyors like House of Jerky. This is the top quality stuff, made with natural ingredients, no added chemicals, and often using old family recipes instead of big factories. I was sent a huge sampling of the various kinds of jerky that the folks at House of Jerky make, and got to taste through them over the past few weeks. Both beer and wine were paired in an attempt to draw some conclusions as to the nature of these pairings. Last year I introduced the San Diego Wine Mafia to my favorite jerky pairing, featuring pinot noir and beef jerky. Here I'll explore other varietals and other kinds of jerky.

Since I want to keep the listing concise, I'll just list the kind of jerky, what I liked it about it, and what wine and/or beer would pair well with it.

Black Pepper Wild Boar Jerky - This is a chewy, earthy jerky with the spicy pepper notes meandering throughout. A salty/sweet kick at the end just begs for something interesting like and off-dry riesling from Oregon, or a rich, tannic syrah from Washington. Either way, you better prepare your mouth for an epic adventure of taste and flavor.




Black Pepper Venison Jerky - Lean, gamey taste with spicy pepper bursts at the edges of your tongue. Great texture and the heat from the black pepper carries on for a while. Bring me some Chocolate Stout or a Paso Robles zinfandel for this awesome stuff. And also please bring me some salty potato chips to complete the palate pleasing trifecta.

Sweet and Spicy Beef Jerky - This reminds me of the stuff from my youth, the sweet is great because it shows first, but the spice is powerful and demands something equally strong. A nice oak aged Porter would do well, as would a sweet gewurztraminer or Spanish grenache. My experiments with India Pale Ales and cabernet sauvignon didn't go well and the pinot I tasted simply wilted under the jerky attack.

Hot Beef Jerky - While the previous beef jerky was spicy, this is HOT stuff! It's definitely beef jerky, there's a sweet, earthy flavor there behind the wall of spicy hotness. Bring on the sweet riesling's, nitrogen conditioned stouts, and port wines. Basically though, this is in a class by itself and perhaps needs a pear or apple cider. My friend Becky suggested a red like barbera or carmine, they're worth a shot too.

Black Pepper Turkey Jerky - One of the drier jerkies that I received, also one of the saltiest. I think this would pair exceptionally well with Champagne or sparkling wine. Perhaps one that has some residual sugar, a demi sec or extra dry instead of a brut. There's a mild pepper flavor that's incredibly pleasing, making this one of my favorite samples out of the entire box. Try it also with a big, hoppy IPA and you'll be happy as can be.

Black Pepper Beef Jerky - The driest of the jerky samples, so I think that the barbera I mentioned earlier would pair extremely well with this one, also a full bodied amber ale like the Calico from Ballast Point. There's  hardly any pepper here, instead, a nice mix of salty, beefy flavors with a hint of sweet right on the finish. Honestly this might be the most versatile jerky in the package.

Teriyaki Turkey Jerky - Moist, tender, sweet teriyaki flavors along with the poultry flavor of turkey. Wowie, so damn tasty! I want that strong IPA now or a big California cabernet that's bursting with berry notes and oak. One of those usually-nasty fruit bombs would absolutely kill it in a pairing here. Also, I had some Willamette chardonnays last week that would rock too, like the 2008 Estate from Johan especially!



Natural Style Beef - Another dry jerky, but oh my goodness is this one good! Pure beef flavor, like eating dried filet mignon. Give me an American Pale Ale with this or crack a bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape, from a year where they didn't screw it up with too much extraction. I also found that this paired exceptionally nicely with a Russian River Valley pinot noir, surprisingly good in fact.



Black Pepper Buffalo Jerky - If I have one gripe about this one, it's just too dry. I loved the texture though, the gamey buffalo meat and the pepper complement each other so well, and there's just this crazy-cool hint of cocoa powder in there too. Give me a bottle of Cana's Feast merlot please! That and leave me in peace to just enjoy some awesome flavors in my mouth.



Teriyaki Beef Jerky - Perhaps the most straightforward jerky in the amazing sampler pack, but also the one that brought me back to childhood. Nice thin sheets with a sweet teriyaki sauce that kept the beef moist and chewy. A hint of nuttiness on the mid palate was very pleasant. Since this took me back to childhood, so too will my wine (in a way). I'll take a bottle of Gary Farrell Russian River Valley Pinot Noir please. My dad sold Gary's wines down here in San Diego until the winery was gobbled up by a conglomerate, so I grew up with cases of this stuff around the house. I suspect it was my first domestic pinot noir ever.


I just tasted through ten different jerkies for you all, feel free to tell me what a committed, awesome author I am. What sacrifice, all to please and entertain my readers!

Kidding aside, the samples sent to me by House of Jerky were all outstanding and I cannot urge you enough to go to their website and check out the selection. I want to thank Janie for reaching out to me and sending these sampler bags along. You can follow them on twitter @HouseofJerky and Janie is truly one of the more engaging people out there.


Beau Carufel

Merlot Day and 2008 Cana's Feast Columbia Valley Merlot

Sometimes the quirks of being a wine blogger can't help but make me chuckle. I was sent a pitch for the "First Annual Merlot Day" earlier this month from Kobrand, St. Francis Winery (the client) is the sponsoring winery. This follows the theme of "varietal days" that have been popping up over the past year so I jumped on board and posted about it on my blog. Unfortunately, I wasn't offered any samples of St. Francis merlot to taste today, but the always-wonderful Tamara at Cana's Feast saw a tweet about my participation and sent me a bottle of their 2008 Columbia Valley merlot to try. Apparently a group of bloggers did get the St. Francis merlot, maybe one day I'll make it to the cool kid's club!

Then again, I get Cana's Feast merlot to taste, so I sure as hell am not complaining! They're one of my favorite producers in Oregon and I previously reviewed the Cana's Feast Sangiovese Grosso last year. The 2008 merlot uses fruit sourced entirely from the Tapteil Vineyard the Red Mountain appellation of eastern Washington. Since only one vineyard contributes the fruit, it comes as no surprise that 172 cases were produced. 172 is miniscule compared to a lot of wines I've reviewed on this blog. For perspective, I recently reviewed a wine that had 30,000 cases made.

The vital stats are:
- 172 cases produced
- 100% Tapteil Vineyard on Red Mountain
- 15.0% alcohol (!!!!)
- 24 months in oak barrels
- $29 winery price

Nice color in my glass, but at the risk of sounding generic, I am looking at red wine. Deep, luxurious ruby which I like but also see a lot. I'll admit though that after seeing the 15.0% alcohol on the label, I was a bit bummed out and reminded that my alcohol opinions definitely favor the "old school" line of thinking.

I like the aromas, there's definitely a strong oak influence that is warm and inviting instead of being too much like vanilla-soaked sawdust. Holding the oak in check is a wonderful earth/dark chocolate mix, a touch of something herbal, and black summer berries. I do get a bit of tickle from the alcohol but it isn't very noticeable compared to other merlots I have tasted.

The balance is superb, with a flash of acidity shoring up the finish and making me think this merlot would be awesome with a big, medium rare, gourmet-cheese topped burger. With bacon on top. Lots of muscular tannins speak to the aging potential of the Cana's Feast merlot, while the dark fruits integrate well with that earthy/mineral streak and bittersweet chocolate flavors that come into play on the mid-palate. A singularly complex example of merlot that I am told showcases both the terroir of Red Mountain and the skill of winemaker Patrick Taylor.

On a whim, and because I was hungry, I decided to give the Cana's Feast merlot a shot with some jerkies I was recently sent. The awesome Janie at House of Jerky sent me a big assortment of jerkies they make, ranging from wild boar to buffalo, venison, turkey, and beef. There were various styles too from teriyaki to hot/sweet, and all-natural. Since I am an admittedly huge fan of jerky, this was like opening up a box of manna from heaven.

My favorites? The all-natural beef jerky, black pepper wild boar jerky, and teriyaki turkey jerky flat out rocked it. Each of them brought flavors that were a nice complement to the robust merlot and if you're a jerky fan like I am, you need to check out House of Jerky. Taking a sip of wine after the jerkies allowed the fruit flavors in the wine to manifest more clearly, showing up as ripe, vibrant red and black fruit. It was fascinating.

For me, the first annual "Merlot Day" was a lot of fun, I got to tweet back and forth with some wine friends, taste a superb merlot from Cana's Feast, overindulge in jerky from House of Jerky, and write this blog post up. I scored the Cana's Feast an A-, with a BUY recommendation. I think for the price, it's hard to find merlot this good, this balanced, and this ageworthy. Check out the Cana's Feast website to buy the wine, or email them to see who might carry it in your neighborhood.

The food and wine were sent to me as press samples for review purposes.

Beau Carufel

Who Makes Sangiovese in the Columbia Valley?! Cana's Feast!

What is Cana's Feast, you ask? A winery of course, one with a tasting room in the Willamette Valley, next to the Carlton Winemakers Studio. I say this because I literally spent five minute at Cana's Feast picking up this sample, then had to run back out to the van to continue the epic Willamette Century Club Extravaganza that I'd embarked upon earlier in the day.

Fast forward six weeks or so, when I (finally) decided to open this Sangiovese to see what it was all about. Most, in fact all the Sangiovese I'd previously tasted was from either Italy (duh) or California. Both regions can produce some wonderful wines, the Italians of course make Brunello di Montalcino, which may in fact be the greatest wine ever.

2007 Cana's Feast Sangiovese Grosso Columbia Valley

 

From the Ciel du Cheval vineyard in the Red Mountain AVA of Washington State, Cana's Feast winemaker Patrick Taylor created a well balanced Sangiovese that showcases a side of the varietal we rarely experience. Different, but in a good way, from Italian or California examples, I was pleased to taste something off the beaten track. There is so much good wine in the world, and there seems to be too little time to taste it all! 

The Sangiovese Grosso poured into my glass with a ruby hue and a center of red brick. Following my usual tasting process, I opened the wine an hour before tasting it and used my Wine Soiree to pour about 3 ounces into the tasting glass.

Ripe cherries, hints of smoke and earth, along with some toasty vanilla all rushed out at me. Compared to a Chianti, where I often taste the cherries but get sharper, more acidic notes, the Cana's Feast was veering in a different direction entirely.

What made this wine very, very good was it's mouthfeel. There was such great texture, I felt it washing across my tongue in wave after wave. Vibrant acidity introduced me to red cherries and hints of raspberry before giving way to some earthy, oaky flavors that added welcome complexity. Notes of herb and cedar seemed to weave in and out, almost between the other flavors. You get a sense this wine is expressing terroir the only way it can, by joyously shouting it at your palate!

The finish also got me excited, the way it tapered away without lingering for too long. Sometimes a wine's finish lasts so long that you're hesitant to take that next bite of food or that next sip. Not with the Cana's Feast Sangiovese, which finished quickly but elegantly.

Using Google, I found prices from $30 to $44 for the Sangiovese. The cheapest price seemed to be on the Cana's Feast website shopping cart, but that required some complex navigating for me at least. I give this wine a B+, it really impressed me and is a worthy addition to your cellar. A BUY recommendation and a suggestion of pairing it with something fun like grilled, marinated skirt steak or even some grilled portobello mushrooms.

You can follow Cana's Feast on twitter by clicking here. If you're up in Carlton, stop by and check out the winery, it's a Tuscan-inspired Villa where you can have lunch with dishes created to highlight the local produce and Cana's Feast wines. Next time I'm in Oregon, I'm going to stop in and get the full experience.

This wine was given to me as a press sample.

Beau Carufel