2007 Morgadio Legado del Conde Albarino

Finally this week, we return to the Albarino varietal in the form of a 2007 Morgadio Legado del Conde (wine.com, $12.79/bottle).  Pale straw yellow in color with somewhat muted aromas of citrus on the nose, I thought at first I was really going to like this wine.  Unfortunately, however, there was something almost bitter about it, especially in the finish – a characteristic that, unfortunately, turned me and J pretty much off. 

In short, while this wasn’t a completely horrible wine (J might actually disagree with me on this point), it certainly isn’t something that I would seek out again, especially when I can get better Albarino for the same price.

2.5 corks popped….

Cheers!

Laurel

2006 Rafael Palacios Louro do Bolo Godello

Godello, another Spanish white wine varietal heralding from Galicia in the northwest of Spain, has characteristics similar to those of Albarino – stone fruit and citrus – yet with fewer floral and herbaceous notes and a more creamy texture than its typically acidic cousin.  The best Godello comes from the Bierzo and Valdeorras regions, and Valdeorras is from where this, the second of CorkPopper’s Spanish whites, comes.

Light gold in color, the 2006 Louro do Bolo has a fine aroma of white peach and juicy pear.  It was fermented and aged in tanks as opposed to barrels, which I mention mostly because it has a relatively buttery mouthfeel for a steel-fermented wine.  Had it been aged in oak, this creaminess might have become overwhelming, making the steel tank fermentation an excellent choice.

In short, for you Chardonnay lovers out there looking for a little variety, you might want to give the Louro do Bolo a try.  And at $12.79/bottle from Wally’s Wine & Spirits, what have you got to lose?

3 corks popped…

Cheers!!

Laurel

2008 Bodegas Martín Códax Albarino (UPDATED)

Albariño is Spain’s most popular white wine and is most closely associated with the Rias Baixas in Spain’s northwest.  Albariño wines generally have a great aroma of stonefruit yet are generally dry and fairly acidic.  This means that on the nose you are likely to sense peaches while on the palate you’ll get grapefruit.

According to the winemaker’s notes, Bodegas Martín Códax is a cooperative established in 1968 that currently has over 550 members and vineyards in the Salnés Valley of Rias Baixas.  The name “Martín Códax” is said to pay homage to a troubadour of the same name who lived in the region in the 13th century and who sang songs exalting the beauty of women, love and wine – my kind of guy…

Light straw in color with just a faint hint of the typical Albariño stone fruit aroma and lots of fresh citrus and and fresh herbs on the palate, this is definitely a pleasant – albeit not particularly exciting – wine.  It is a wonderfully full-bodied white wine with a nice, round balance and a generous finish of crisp apples and meyer lemon.

All in all, a very decent option to add to any list of everyday white wines…. Check it out yourself for just $12.79/bottle from Wally’s Wine & Spirits.

4 corks popped!!*

Cheers!!

Laurel

UPDATE:  I originally gave this wine 3.5 corks popped, but have decided to upgrade it to 4 corks popped pairing it with an absolutely delicious meal….

Week 23: Spanish Whites

After finishing off Argentina with a bang, we leave South America for a different Spanish-speaking country – Spain.  I’m starting off with white wines – two Albarinos and a Godello.

First, we have a 2008 Bodegas Martin Codax Albarino, which was recommended by Drew, a fellow lover of Spanish wines, and is available at Wally’s Wine & Spirits for just $12.79/bottle.

Next, we have a 2006 Rafael Palacios Louro do Bolo Godello, which garnered 91 points from Robert Parker and 89 points from Stephen Tanzer.  It’s also available from Wally’s for just $12.79/bottle.

Finally, I’ll be trying a 2007 Morgadio Legado del Conde Albarino, which received 90 points from both Robert Parker and Stephen Tanzer and is available from wine.com for $12.79/bottle.

Salut!!

Laurel

2008 Tomero Torrontes Salta

Sadly, I have one word for this wine – ick.  Along with the overwhelming aroma of jasmine and lilies (that’s right, it smelled like a big Vegas bouquet), there was something totally off as well (which means it smelled like a big Vegas bouquet that was on its last leg).  That off aroma (and flavor) carried all the way through the finish, which was awful.  Again, ick.  I tried letting it air out a bit, but there was just no saving this one.  Bummer.

Ordinarily I would say that it may just be a matter of differences in taste, but I just don’t think that’s true here.  It could also be that I just got a bad bottle, but I’ve got to say that I don’t have much desire to try it again.

0.5 corks popped…

Cheers!

Laurel

2008 Elsa Bianchi Torrontes – UPDATED

Sourced from grapes grown just outside San Rafael in the Mendoza region at an elevation of about a half mile above sea level, this is a much more nuanced and delicate wine than the Crios de Susana Balbo.  It has a soft yet pleasant aroma of white flowers, lychee, orange zest and spice and a smooth, crisp mouthfeel that is both dry and amazingly juicy all at once, filling the mouth with flavors of Fuji apples and clementines.  Moreover, it has a lower residual sugar level than the Crios de Susana Balbo, meaning it shows all that nice, ripe fruit without tasting or smelling overly sweet.

In sum, this is a truly solid wine that has definitely earned a spot on my summer wine list, especially at just $7.99/bottle from K&L Wine Merchants!

4 corks popped!

Cheers!!

Laurel

UPDATE (1/15/10):  I first tasted this wine by myself and, as you can see above, quite enjoyed it.  I saved some for J to try, thinking that I’d finally found a Torrontes he might like.  Um, not so much.  He pretty much hated this wine and disliked it more than the Crios de Susana, in fact, calling it too flowery and like sucking on a honesuckle.  Haha.  Just goes to show that everyone’s tastes are different!

2009 Dominio del Plata "Crios de Susana Balbo" Torrontes Mendoza

I have made it clear on this blog that (excepting the occasional after-dinner tawny Port), as a general rule, I don’t like sweet wines.  That said, I do have the capability of appreciating residual sweetness in a wine when it is delicate and balanced out by other elements such as acidity and minerality.  Some grapes – Riesling and Torrontes, for example – naturally tend to maintain an amount of residual sugar (and therefore result in sweeter wines) when their juice is fermented into wine, and therefore, even at their “driest” they still taste somewhat sweet.

This is precisely the case with the 2009 Dominio del Plata “Crios de Susana Balbo” Torrontes.  This wine has a huge aroma of pineapple and honey and, although it is dry on the palate (meaning it leaves your mouth feeling dry after you’ve swallowed, causing you to salivate), it is remarkably fruity, almost tropical in flavor with just enough acidity to cut through the slight sweetness.

J is probably not going to care much for this wine (he’s convinced that he doesn’t like any Torrontes), but I actually enjoyed it in spite of myself.  Though it isn’t something I would necessarily want to drink much of on its own, I can definitely see pairing it with some bold foods – spicy Thai, for example, or summer BBQ.  And at $12.99/bottle from K&L Wine Merchants, you won’t break the bank giving it a shot….

3 corks popped!

Cheers!!

Laurel

Week 20: Argentinian Torrontes

This week we move away from some of the more common white wine grapes (Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris) to one you aren’t likely to find outside Argentina – Torrontes.  Though the Torrontes grape (or a close relative) is thought to have been brought to Argentina centuries ago by Spanish missionaries, it is in the cool, windswept northwest region of Argentina that the grape has thrived. 

Torrontes wine, like the grape from which it is made, is quite unique.  Though it often has a relatively sweet aroma, Torrontes is generally dry to off-dry with peach and apricot notes that are (hopefully) nicely balanced out by a nice acidity and minerality.  J is convinced that he doesn’t care for Torrontes, and it’s true that he wasn’t a fan of the few we tried while we were in Argentina.  Let’s see how these three go over….

First, we have a 2008 Elsa Torrontes Mendoza, which is available at K&L Wine Merchants for just $7.99/bottle.

Next is a 2008 Tomero Torrontes Salta, again available at K&L, this time for $12.99/bottle.  This wine is sourced from grapes that are grown over a mile above sea level…. let’s see what effect that high altitude has!

Finally, we have a 2009 Dominio del Plata “Crios de Susana Balbo” Torrontes Mendoza, which is also available at K&L for $12.99/bottle.  This is the only wine this week that has been rated by the critics – Robert Parker gave it 90 points.

Cheers!

Laurel

Week 19: What to Eat with the Dona Paula Sauvignon Blanc

There was absolutely no question that this week’s CorkPopper recipe had to involve fresh pasta.  Even more than the famous Argentinian beef, J and I fell in love with the delicate, handmade pasta we found at so many of the restaurants we visited, especially the ravioli (which they sometimes call sorrentini). 

Argentina, you see, experienced a large influx of Italian immigrants in the 19th and 20th centuries, and (at least according to Wikipedia) around 60% of Argentina’s population have some degree of Italian descent.  What this means, of course, is not only delicious pasta and ice cream but also that yours truly, a non-Spanish speaker who once lived in Italy, actually understood the Argentine Spanish accent better than some Spanish-speakers do at first.  Ha!
 
So, back in Los Angeles and in need of a recipe for this week’s CorkPopper dinner, J and I came up with the following recipe for crab and ricotta ravioli with a light cream sauce.  The sweetness of the crab and delicate flavor of the ricotta are sure to pair nicely with the Dona Paula Tupungato Sauvignon Blanc, and the cream sauce lends just enough weight to make the dish satisfying and comforting on a nice January evening.  Yummmmm…..

Crab and Ricotta Ravioli with Cream Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients for Ravioli
2 cups flour
1/2 pound lump crab meat
1 cup ricotta cheese
3 large shallots, minced
Extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground pepper
Sea salt

Ingredients for Cream Sauce
2 1/2 cups heavy cream*
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
12 tablespoons unsalted butter**
2 cups Parmiggiano, grated
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
A pinch of nutmeg
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation
Put about 2 cups all-purpose flour in a bowl.  Slowly add ice cold water, combining thoroughly before adding more.  Once you’ve got a dough-like substance that is soft but not mushy, stop adding water.  Roll it into a ball, put it back in the bowl, cover with a towel, and place it in the fridge to set for at least 30 minutes.

While the dough is chilling, heat about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the shallots and saute until translucent.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Dry the crab meat of any excess liquid.  Make the ravioli filling by combining the crab meat and ricotta, breaking up any extra large pieces of crab as necessary.  Add the shallots and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to assemble your ravioli.

Heat a large pot of salted water.  Take a palm-sized amount of dough and roll it out to about 1/8 inch thick.  I use a pasta roller, but you should be able to accomplish this with a rolling pin as well.  Dust your surface with flour so that the dough doesn’t stick.  Place a small dollop of the filling a few inches from the edge of the rolled-out dough.  Fold the dough over the filling, taking care to not trap any air inside (it will explode in the water if there are air pockets).  Press the edges together with your fingers and cut the dough with a knife or a ravioli cutter.

Once you’ve made all the ravioli, place them gently in the boiling water.  Make sure you’ve turned the heat down so that the water isn’t actually in a rolling boil.  Once the ravioli rise to the top, they’re done.  

While the pasta is cooking, stir 2 cups of the cream and the lemon juice in a heavy large skillet over medium heat to blend.  Add the butter and cook over medium heat just until the butter melts, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.  Add the remaining cream and the Parmiggiano to the sauce along with the zest, nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Stir over low heat until the sauce thickens slightly, about 1-2 minutes.

As the ravioli finish cooking, gently remove them from the water with a slotted spoon and add them to the sauce to coat.  Transfer to pasta bowls or deep plates and garnish with fresh basil leaves and lemon zest for color.  Serve with crusty grilled bread (duh) and a colorful salad.

Cheers and buon appetito!!

Laurel

* For best results, allow the cream to come to room temperature.  It will be less likely to curdle when cooked.
**  As with the cream, allow the butter to come to room temperature.

2008 Pulenta Alto Agrelo

So it turns out that my 2008 Pulenta Sauvignon Blanc Alto Agrelo is actually a 2008 Pulenta Pinot Gris Alto Agrelo.  Oops.  I’m not entirely sure how that happened, but it means that my week of Argentinian Sauvignon Blanc has turned into one Sauvignon Blanc, one Sauvignon Blanc/Chenin Blanc blend, and one Pinot Gris.  Sounds more like a week of Other Argentinian Whites to me!!

Oh well.  C’est la vie, right?  It turns out that this wasn’t the best wine of the week anyway.  With a very delicate, almost nonexistent aroma of citrus and stone fruit and a decent acidity and flavor of crisp, tart apple on the tongue, this is, in general, a decent wine.  But at $17.99/bottle, I expect a bit more than just decent these days, especially from a country with such great value wines.

In short, I’m not suggesting that you should avoid the Pulenta Pinot Gris, but with so many quality wines on the market, it doesn’t need to be your first choice.

3 corks popped…

Cheers!

Laurel

P.S.  J was out of town on business this week, and, as I often do when he’s gone, I took the opportunity to cook stuff that he just doesn’t like.  Take the dinner I had with the Pulenta Pinot Gris, for example.  I made myself an absolutely gorgeous Mediterranean salad of baby greens, Israeli couscous, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, roasted red peppers, feta cheese, balsamic onions, grilled Japanese eggplant and hummus (with a side of Mediterranean flatbread).  J hates the seeds in tomatoes, cucumber and eggplant and isn’t a fan of olives.  I, on the other hand, thought this was a simply fantastic combo….

The vineyards are located in Alto Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina, one of the most prestigious winemaking areas of the province. The 135 hectare-vineyard grows at 980 metres above sea level and enjoys an extraordinary climate and huge temperature ranges, all of which create favourable conditions for an adequate ripening of the grapes. The vines, which were especially brought from France and Italy and planted by Antonio Pulenta, flourish at the feet of the majestic Andes Range. Meltwater flowing from the mountains irrigates the Estate and its purity is reflected in the vigour, intensity and freshness of the fruit.

Greenish yellow in colour, with a bouquet of ripe green apple, citrus fruit and crushed white flowers. Slightly off dry on the palate, with prominent stone fruit flavours, lemon zest and crab apple, with good acidity and a long finish. Serve with summer salads and light chicken dishes.

2008 Pulenta Pinot Gris Alto Agrelo

SKU #1050393 Initially a bit shy aromatically, this will open to reveal honeysuckle and stone fruit aromas, which carry over to the palate and show that very subtle, light acacia honey character which some of my favorite Williamette valley renditions of this grape variety occasionally display. Do not serve this wine to cold; I’d even prefer a cool room temperature as opposed to straight out of the fridge in order to best enjoy this delicate wine.