Do YOU Kakou?

We were visited this week by the lovely Madame Maurice - the owner and winemaker of Bordeau estate Chateau La Cone. A charming and sophiticated lady, she entertained us all and seemed entertained by our company as well. Very cool woman.

Maurice (Madame La Cone)
Corky
& Chefguy RJ


So here we have a guest from Bordeaux and semi-regular D-Money gets to telling some good jokes. The highlights of this escapade are The Drunk Uncle Joke, and The Scottish Joke.

Now the jokes themselves are pretty good, I won't try and type them out here for obvious reasons. But what's really funny is D-Money telling stories about other times he's told these jokes. Apparently, telling the right joke at the opportune time can lead people to attempt to re-enact or re-tell the joke. And the outcome is usually far funnier than the original joke could ever be.

So anyway, we have D-Money over here doing a standup routine, most of which are semi-dirty jokes.
And we have Madame Le Cone one seat over who is kind of lost.

D-Money is Drunk Uncle


And when you need to translate a joke into French, who better than Corky's boss - Franck.

So D-Money is telling stories about telling jokes which are then translated into French by Franck who then relays them to Madame La Cone. And watching this whole thing unfold is itself somewhat amusing.

Franck Translates Jokes


So it was almost like having three jokes in one by the time everything unfolded.
That by itself is worth the price of admission.

Shout Out to the Chefs



Chateau Virgile 2004 Costieres de Nimes Blanc

A Marsanne and Rousanne blend that was clean and tasty.
One of my favorite styles of wine: Cheap Southern French White.

Chateau La Cone 2003
Premieres Coted de Blaye

Still kind of raw and unhinged. Any further critique would be premature.

Chateau LaCone 2000
Premiere Cotes de Blaye

Full and flavorful with firm structure and good if mild fruit.
Very good textbook budget Bordeaux.

Scott Harvey 2002 Amador County Barbera

Kind of thin in texture and fruit. I couldn't find much depth to speak of in the wine.
Good acidity though...

Scott Harvey 2001 Amador County Zinfandel

I know I've previously expressed my distrust of people with two first names, and the distrust holds true. Again, thin in the mouth and lacking any lengthy or deep fruit flavors.

Goundrey 2003 Chardonnay
Western Australia

I like fruit, fruit, fruit and acid with my toasty, vanilla-laden woodsy flavors. Alas, this chardonnay had no focus and had way more wood than quality fruit.

Bishop's Peak 2003 Pinot Noir
Central Coast

Sorry kidz. I was the only person who seemed to think this Pinot Noir lacked in purity and fruit, though maybe not so much in mouthfeel. Everybody else seemed to like this wine. I would conjecture that for $17 I've had other Central Coast Pinots that were much more focused, clean, vibrant, and ripe than this Bishop.

Li Veli 2002 Rosso de Salento
Passamante

I need to better discern the difference between over-ripe tank fermented primitivo and heat-damaged wine if I am to pass the Master Sommelier test.

Soos Creek 2002 Artist's Series #2
Columbia Valley

Here's my disclaimer: I sell this wine.
So yeah, I think it's good. Real good. Extra good, dammit.
So tell me if ya think I'm bullshitting, but I'd say this may have been the richest, most complex wine we tasted all afternoon. And I'd still drink that cheap Frenchy white before this chunky monkey anyday.

Smith-Madrone 2001 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

The wine tasted a little too young and acidic to drink now, but it certainly has potential. While the alcohol was typically vapor-driven and phenolic, the tigh-fisted fruit flavors tried to spring forth.
Maybe this is how wine tasted from Napa twenty years ago?


So a scattered shot of wine this week and a bunch of dirty jokes. What could be better?

Actually, I'd like to thank the first ever non-member comment from ANONYMOUS. The general feeling I got from the comment is that I have my head up my ass. While this may or may not be true, I still soldier on relentlessly. How simple of you, however, to think that I get paid by somebody for posting my reviews. I only get paid when I sell my wines. However, I've decided that for $50 a pop, I'll gladly endorse any wine you'd like. Send me your copy and your cash and I'll sing the praises of whatever crap you want.

Finally: We're News Worthy

As noted last week, we were visited by Janet Podolak, the Food and Travel Editor for the News-Herald. She was studious and took copious notes about the wines tasted and each of our occupations, etc...

Also as noted last week, I used mind control on her and I expect a fabulously celebratory article about our tasting group in the News-Herald in the coming months. I know a reporter's work is never done, and it may take ten or twelve more visits to the tasting group for Janet to really grasp the whole tasting thing. Never fear. W'ell guide her safely through all the tribulations of wine and martini consumption.


Liquoring Up the NewsLady



Cascina Pian D'Or Moscato D'Asti
Bricco Riella

Tasty and sweet, as are all Moscatos D'Asti. Not very musky, but clean and chipper instead.

Winzer Von Erbach 2004
Erbacher Honigberg Riesling

I sell this wine, so I'll shamelessly say it's REALLY GOOD. And cheap.

Di Bruno 2004 Pinot Grigio Santa Rita Hills
Sanford & Benedict Vineyard

Very lean and slightly grassy, making it slightly against the grain for California PG. But also this stuff is quite classy and very Euro in texture. Of course, an Italina winemaker might do that to cool-climate California juice. Tasty and super-sophisticated.

Brandborg 2002 Pinot Gris
Umpqua Valley, Oregon

A damaged bottle always kills the buzz. And based on the fine quality of the Brandborg Pinots Noirs, I would have liked to taste a high-caliber Pinot Gris from this tiny winery. Since Corky didn't show up this week, somebody had to bring the bad bottle of wine...

Lagar de Carvera 2003 Albarino

Not really as vibrant as some of the other fine Albarinos tasted in the past months. And also higher-priced than most, at $20. I still haven't tasted an Albarino that really screams World Class. Maybe someday we'll be calling it the Burgundy of Spain.

Col de Lairole 2004 Rose

Nice sweet-tart fruit and plenty of acidity. Fairly rich for under $10. Personally, I would have liked a little more fruit, but everybody else seemed to like it just fine.

Chateau de Cabriac 2003 Corbieres Rose

Slightly more powerful and definitely more austere than the first rose. When first tasted , this one was not as appealing as the cheaper rose, but later I thought it was every bit as good-if not better. This is probably a more classic European-styled dry rose.

Kios 2003

A Grenache/Tempranillo blend from central Spain, the wine was pretty spicy and had lots of peppery attack. I felt it was missing mid-palate mouthfeel and I've probably tasted better Eric Solomon selections in that same category. But I ain't no Robert Parker - he gave this wine 90 points. I probably would've opted for an 88 instead. Or maybe an 89.

Smith-Madrone 2002 Napa Valley Chardonnay

Very rich with great fruit flavors and good acidity. Plenty of wood on this puppy, but the fruit has enough weight to balance. Good acid for Napa Chard. Still not enough for me, but good for Napa.

Il Palagetto 1999 Toscana Rosso
Sottobosco

I don't know what the exact translation of Sottobosco mioght be, but this stuff was GOOD. Medium bodied, but with long, long, long tart cherry flavors that evolved into a gentle, bakers' chocolate (powdered) finish. This wine might have been more powerful two or three years ago, but it is just exceptional with proper bottle age. I'd like to make this my house wine and have it served from huge earthen tankards by naked, olive-skinned women who lived at my estate. It's that good.

Bennett Lane 2001 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

We couldn't agree on how this wine was faulty.
But we pretty much all agreed the wine was faulty.


A rare shot of the afternoons' nourishment as these sandiwches were scarfed. As always, thanks to Chefguy RJ and the Kitchen Kidz at Molinari's.


T-Bud explains her job in depth to Janet Podolak. I'll tell ya what: T-Bed is a virtual one-girl presskit. She can expound upon all aspects of her job, wine tasting, foodie foodishness, this tasting group, and wine tasting in general.
If I ever have another job interview, I'm gonna send her to my interview instead of me.