July 07 Update

I haven’t exactly been dutiful with the blog. No excuses.

Here’s what I can remember after five months of tastings and no writing:

Wine--

• Chateau Guiraud 1er Cru Sauternes 2003—

Straw color, big honeysuckle & fruit bouquet, full and lush on the palate. I find it a bit sweet but very pleasant. Surprisingly, it’s only $35 a bottle despite being parkerized (RP 94). I’m determined to get another couple bottles to save for a special occasion.

Rating: 8 out of 10 Very Good Stuff

• Nino Franco Prosecco di Valdobbiadene "Rustico" (NV 750ml) —

I’ve had a craving for prosecco ever since a delightful experience with a house selection at Fresco in NYC. So, in hopes of a repeat I tried out the Nino Franco. Unfortunately it tastes like brut champagne to me.

Dry, sharp, strongly mineral, with some fruit and a sulfurous note like match-heads that I find off-putting. It’s not completely awful, but it seems disappointingly prickly to drink—especially so considering the reputation of French and Italian bubbly.

Before anyone throws the “wuss” flag on this play, let it be known that I drink bourbon, tequila, whisky and whiskey neat. I’m a grappa fan and I’ve even been able to stomach kaoliang. But, I don’t yet understand the attraction to dry sparkling wines. With the exception of a bottle of Dom Perignon 1998 from a friend, all the sparkling dry wines I’ve tried have been unbalanced and uncomplex. Perhaps the NF is young and needs ageing? Or perhaps I need to get rich and stick to Dom.

Rating: 4.5 out of 10 S’alright

Beer--

• Dogfish Head "Chateau Jiahu" (750ml)—

What a special beer this is. Full appreciation requires a taste for the ‘extreme’ end of the wine and beer world. Extreme wines are big, tongue-blackening reds like “old-vines” zinfandels, full-bodied Aussie shiraz and hearty Bordeaux. Extreme beers are full-bore brews like trappist ales from Belgium, German doppelbocks, barleywines and English strong ales. Though these are drinks of impressive ABV power, the adventurous taster finds more than alcohol. These drinks offer dazzling complexity and muscular grace.

So it is with Chateau Jiahu. The story of the brew is as extreme as the product. Like Dogfish’s Midas Golden Elixir before it, Jiahu is based on trace evidence from an archaeological find. The recipe contains rice, wildflower honey, muscat grapes, barley malt, hawthorn fruit, and Chrysanthemum flowers. The product is gustatory enlightenment.

Jiahu is floral, full-bodied and lively with subtle natural carbonation and a dry finish. I can’t do it justice in print trying to recall the details from my tasting months ago. So, for due diligence, I’ll have to find another bottle and do a proper review.

In the meantime: http://beeradvocate.com/news/stories_read/687

Rating: 9 out of 10 Damn Good Stuff

• Dogfish Head "Red and White" (750ml)—

This is another whopper from Dogfish—like Jiahu it’s not for the faint of liver. The experience is layered aromatic complexity and interplay of flavor. That, and holding onto your barstool. Share with friends, it’s not safe for solitary consumption.

The flavor profile is like a lambic if somebody sent lambics to a custom hot-rod shop. Malt and spice, tart, and full-bodied with a wine-like finish. Perhaps it’s too tart and tastes more like wine than beer, but I’ll forgive that because like most Dogfish extreme beers, it should improve with ageing.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10 Very Good Stuff

Cheese--

• Petit Delice d’Argental (200g) —

I bought this little cow’s milk cheese at Wagshal’s Deli (http://www.wagshals.com/Delicatessen/index.htm) in DC. Strongly aromatic (pungent and fruity) soft cow’s milk cheese. I usually find cow cheese s uncomplicated and dull. But this little round was worthwhile.

The character of Delice d’Argental is like brie but more interesting. Rich, full-cream palate with a pleasant pungent aroma and some faint fruit notes. The aroma opens up beautifully with a sip of wine, which brings us back to wine again.

Rating: 6.0 out of 10 Good Stuff

Wine--

• J. Lohr “Wildflower” valdiguie, Monterey 2003 (750ml) —

This I had lying around for a year in the bottom of a neglected rack in the kitchen. Even after much heating, cooling and jostling, it makes for a good table wine and it was a surprisingly good match for the Delice d’Argental.

Valdiguie produces a deep purple but surprisingly light wine with plum and berry aromas and soft tannin. At room temperature it was a little unbalanced. A light chill helps it greatly. Very drinkable, and definitely a cut above most Yellowtail offerings.

Paired with the Argental, the cheese opened up and produced strong must and fruit aromas.

Rating: 5.5 out of 10 Not Bad

Coming soon:

Donnhoff Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spatlese 2004 (750ml)

Schaller & Weber Kalbsleberwurst

Wagshal’s Deli, Washington DC

Corrado’s Market, Clifton NJ

Domori Puertomar, Puertofino & Porcelana chocolate