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When it comes to celebrations, such as a birthday, wedding announcement or a special achievement, we tend to reach for those tucked away bottles that only get opened and poured on such occasions. I’m all for celebrating with rare champagne and vintage wines, but there is also something very special about opening an exceptional or rare bottle of wine with a friend or loved one “just because”. Sometimes sharing a vintage wine is celebration enough!  I had the opportunity recently to enjoy a vintage bottle of Château Haut-Brion, a Premier Cru Classé (First Growth). The occasion? Friendship! We only opened one of these bottles and I will let you know in my next post if it was the 61’ or 94’ vintage! Château Haut-Brion is produced in Pessac located just outside the city of Bordeaux. Of the five first growths, it is the only wine with the Pessac-Léognan appellation. It also has one of the longest histories of any Bordeaux wine château and has been growing grapes to produce Bordeaux wine for almost 600 years! Haut-Brion is the earliest identified first growth that was included in the official 1855 Classification. The name is derived from the Celtic term “Briga”, meaning a rise or mount in the land.
When Jean de Pontac married Jeanne de Bellon in 1525, she brought the first portion of the Bordeaux wine property called Haut-Brion as a dowry. Pontac bought the title to the domain of Haut-Brion in 1553 and continued to expand and improve the property. Pontac died at the age of 101, having married twice more, siring 15 children and ensuring a legacy for generations to come. In 1801,Haut-Brion was sold to Talleyrand, Prince of Benevento making him the first “non-family” to own Château Haut-Brion. In 1935, Clarence Dillon, an American financier bought the Château. Today, Dillon’s granddaughter, Joan Dillon is head of the Château. The first official review of Château Haut-Brion wine and any wine ever came from Samuel Pepys on April 10th, 1663. He wrote, “There I drank a sort of French wine called Ho-Bryan that hath a good and most particular taste I never met with.” An interesting wine review! Château Haut-Brion was one of the first Bordeaux châteaux to begin using stainless steel vats for vinification in 1961. Double skinned, stainless steel vats were introduced at the Château in 1991. The wine is aged in up to 100% new French oak for about 24 months. The blending takes place just after fermentation is finished and prior to the aging process in the barrel has started. The best vintages for the red wine of Château Haut-Brion are: 2012, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2006, 2005, 2000, 1998, 1996, 1995, 1990, 1989, 1985, 1982, 1961, 1959, 1955, 1953, 1950, 1949, 1948, 1947, 1945, 1934, 1929, 1928, 1926 and 1921. Tomorrow I will share my take with tasting Château Haut-Brion. And hopefully, it will be an interesting review! In the meantime, grab that bottle of wine you’ve been saving and share it with someone special…”just because”. Cheers! Penina  Waking to overcast skies on Sunday morning, the fall colors seemed less vibrant and a touch softer. Light classical music was turned on for easy listening pleasure. Eggs Benedict (sans the ham), dark roasted coffee made in a French press and the Sunday NY Times were all I needed to put a smile on my face. The only thing that was missing was a Bloody Mary or Mimosa. As I write this post, I’m thinking that this just might be a perfect day to continue my indulgence and stay snuggled in.  Last evening was another indulgence. Dining at a friend’s home, I sipped on Lanson Noble Cuvée Brut Rosé. I must admit that I had not heard of this particular champagne prior to my tasting it last evening. It was pale pink, with delightful bubbles dancing in the glass. Aromas of roses and berries were at the forefront and continued onto the palate with layers of cherry, citrus and dried fruit. The blend is 62% Chardonnay and 38% Pinot Noir. I will have to explore more of their champagnes! www.lanson.com Have a happy and peaceful Sunday!
Cheers! Penina  We went from several days of warm weather to waking up to cold temperatures this morning. Brrr…. The heat was turned back on and the windows were closed again.  To celebrate the “warmer” temperatures the other evening, a friend and I dined on mussels, pasta and swordfish. The balmy weather seemed to warrant a more “summery” type menu. Our choice of wine reflected that as well. We opened a 2011 Domaine Huet Vouvray Sec Le Mont Chenin Blanc to complement the meal. The wine is produced in the Vouvray district of the Loire valley. This was a lovely dry Chenin Blanc with a golden color. The aromas of honeysuckle, green tea and floral notes were present. The palate offered soft fruits, pear, lemon and medium acidity. The finish was long with hints of apple lingering. http://www.domainehuet.com I have a feeling that I will be drinking heartier wines this weekend!
Happy Friday! Cheers! Penina  I need to catch up with my wining and dining this past weekend. However, I have to address the festivities of last night. It was the Supermoon lunar eclipse with an incredible “blood moon”. Clear skies afforded a magical view of this amazing event.  In honor of the eclipse we opened a bottle of 1998 Henriot Cuvee des Enchanteleurs, Brut, Champagne. It was an enthusiastic introduction for me! Champagne Henriot is one of the oldest family-owned houses in the region, dating back to the 1700s and seven generations. Joseph Henriot is currently presiding over the house. This 50-50 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir was like drinking a rich dessert. It had a shimmering gold color with intricate layers of pear, honey, apple, peaches and flowers. It was a buttery smooth finish with a wonderful mouth feel and depth. Simply lovely! Move over Louis Roederer, you have competition. http://www.champagne-henriot.com Happy Monday!
Cheers! Penina  It’s already Thursday and I’m still trying to catch up with everything. It’s a juggling act at best!  On “Day 80”, September 6th, 2014, I posted a quick review of 1988 Chateau Coufran Haut – Médoc. I remember how impressed we were that it had held up so well throughout the years considering it was not stored under the most ideal conditions. When my friend came over for dinner on Tuesday evening, he asked if we might open my last bottle of 1988 Chateau Coufran Haut - Médoc. And so, a year later, as we swirled and sipped, we were again awed as to how well this wine stood the test of time! It was better than the first bottle.  The cork was solid and came out with ease. It was decanted, with no visible sediment, which is unusual for a wine of this age. The color was dark brick red with aromas of cherry and dark berries. The wine was soft and uncomplicated with gentle flavors of cherry, pomegranate, a hint of spice and licorice. As the wine continued to open up over the course of the evening, the fruit became a bit bolder on the palate. The finish was medium. It was an exceptional wine for its age. http://www.chateau-coufran.com The 76 hectare vineyard is situated on the Left Bank close to St. Estephe. The vineyard, which dates back to the mid 1700’s, was originally planted with Cabernet Sauvignon. The Miaihe family purchased the property in 1924 and in the early 1930’s they ended up ripping out most of the Cabernet vines and planting 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet grapes in the vineyards. This is quite unique for the Haut - Médoc. I would love to taste their more recent vintages as a comparison to the 1988 bottle. Have a great Thursday!
Cheers! Penina  The other evening I went to a friend’s home for dinner. He is passionate about cooking and so it is always a treat to dine with him. His creativity in the kitchen transcends to the beautiful table he sets and his detail to presentation is just as appetizing as the food he prepares. We dined on grilled swordfish that had been marinated in olive oil, lemon and herbs, asparagus and grilled baked potatoes. Even though he has a well-stocked wine cellar, I brought a perfectly chilled bottle of 2013 Louis Jadot Macon-Village Chardonnay from Burgundy. It was a perfect aperitif to have with the appetizers and paired well with the main course.  The wine is made from 100% unoaked Chardonnay grapes. The Macon Village area is situated in the southern part of Burgundy and close to Beaujolais. The appellation covers about 2,500 hectares of vineyards and is one of the largest of the Maconnais area. The wine was pale straw in color with aromas of citrus, floral and apple. The palate offered lemon, apple, melon and a hint of hazelnut. It was clean, crisp and had a lovely finish. http://www.louisjadot.com I have a busy day and evening ahead of me.
Happy Monday! Cheers! Penina  It’s another overcast day with lots to do, so no rest for the weary. And…I am so very weary. I awoke this morning before the birds did. After a productive day yesterday, I finally started to wind down. With company coming, I began my food prep for the evening’s dinner. The menu was grilled vegetables with couscous and seared scallops. The wine was a 2001 Chateau La Grave A Pomerol. Just imagine, while the grapes for this Bordeaux blend were being harvested, the world was about to change forever with the 9/11 tragedy. On a brighter note for that year, Apple announced iTunes at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco, for organizing and playing digital music and videos.  The wine was the color of rubies. We took a taste as soon as the bottle was opened. It was soft and somewhat closed, needing time to open up. So we put it aside for about 45 minutes and then began to drink it. The aromas of dark cherry, raspberry and a hint of tobacco were intoxicating. The wine was delicious and straightforward with flavors of dark fruits, plum and a touch of spice. It had a very nice “jammy” finish. We savored every mouthful! http://www.chateau-la-grave.net  I’d love to steal a catnap before tonight’s activities, but not happening! Happy Thursday!
Cheers! Penina  It’s hard to believe that the days are getting shorter. Didn’t summer just begin?  Wednesday was busy with lunch dates and business. However, I did find time at the very end of the day to have a nice swim. To welcome the evening and sunset, I opened a bottle of 2014 La Petite Perriere Rosé from the Central Loire Valley of France. The Rosé was the color of soft salmon with floral and fruit aromas. The palate offered strawberries and raspberries with a hint of citrus on the finish. It was quite refreshing, dry and a great accompaniment to the beautiful sunset! http://sagetlaperriere.com  The Fourth of July festivities are underway. I will post when I can!
Have a great Thursday! Cheers! Penina  About 5 months ago I uncovered 10 bottles of 1976 Chateau Beychevelle Grand Vin Saint-Julien hidden in my wine cabinet. I always knew that I had a few bottles lurking about, but was most delighted to find even more.  In April of this year I opened a bottle with another wine enthusiast and wrote a review. http://thewineknitter.com/1/post/2015/04/day-258.html. Since then, a few of my “wine” friends have been pleading with me to share a bottle with them.  So last night, I opened a bottle for a special friend hoping for the same positive experience as before. We were not disappointed! Although the color was faded to brick and the aromas were muted, the essence of fruit was still detectable on the nose. We allowed it to sit for about 45 minutes. As with the bottle that was opened in April, this too, was very drinkable. Soft with the taste of berries overriding it’s age and earthiness, it got better and better with each passing minute! Eight bottles to go…who will be the next to share with me? What will you be drinking to start off you weekend?
Happy Friday! Cheers! Penina  Congrats to the Blackhawks for winning the Stanley Cup. It was an enjoyable and exciting series. What next??  I’m still playing “catch up” with some wines that I recently tasted. A few nights ago we opened a 2013 Pinot Blanc d’Alsace, Domaine Paul Blanck. This was a very interesting dry wine. The color was pale yellow with very subtle aromas of flowers and white peach. It was light in flavor with a little fruit, particularly apple, a touch of smokiness and herbs. It is a nicely balanced wine and was quite a contrast from the chardonnay that was opened that evening. I would certainly drink this again! http://www.blanck.com  It appears to be another sultry, rainy day ahead. This is a good time to finish a few projects. Happy Tuesday!
Cheers! Penina |
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