100% of my February wine budget has gone to Huet's '07s

I don't have too much experience tasting the brilliant wines of Huet. The '02 Petillant is terrific, much classier and more interesting than many a Champagne. I recently tasted a Touraine rose sparkler, made from 100% gamay. Pretty cool wine, with a touch of gamay earthy, roasted peanut-like savor. And once I tasted a vin de glace from '80, which was truly compelling. It was a tiny taste, and all I remember is being jolted from my seat by the searing acidity.

Finally I have purchased a few bottles of Huet's better known, bread-and-butter offerings from his famous single vineyards in Vouvray: Le Mont, Le Haut Lieu, and Clos du Bourg.

It means that I'll be drinking a bit less often and more on the cheap than usual this month, but I think this should prove to be a small price to pay for enjoying Huet Vouvray in the years ahead.

And once again…RIOJA

[Since I'm trying to get the most of my writing and time these days, I thought that I would show you a sneak peak at my March newsletter article where I work. Yes, I am well aware that I am doing some double dipping here.]

Well, I’ve written about wines from Rioja before, I’m writing about them now, and I’m sure I will continue to discuss the virtues of this most noble of Spanish wine regions in future newsletters. Located along the banks of the Rio Ebro, the river which diagonally cuts a large swath across much of the northeastern quadrant of Spain, Rioja is divided into three sub-zones: Rioja Alta (coolest climate, and as the name suggests home of the highest elevation vineyards, as well as most of the better known bodegas), Rioja Alavesa (a bit warmer and drier, in the Basque province of Alavá) and Rioja Baja (warmest, driest, and furthest south, where garnacha is most commonly planted). Here are a few exciting, recent Rioja arrivals:

2005 Viña Izadi Rioja Crianza- $16.99
Excellent winemaking and balance as usual with this Rioja Alavesa wine. It shows intense, youthful black cherry fruit and hints of vanilla from oak. The issue of oak is no less divisive in Rioja as anywhere else these days. Used American barrels are traditional (despite the fact that some wineries insist that French has long been the standard bearer of quality). To further complicate things, wineries such as Marques de Vargas ($24.99 for their ’04 Reserva, by the way, is quite tasty) have successfully experimented with Russian and Ukrainian oak, something which no doubt has awakened the snark in many of their peers. Back to the Izadi, the back label states that the wine has been aged 14 months in American oak. Would have fooled me – I thought for sure it was French. Bottom line: balanced wine is good wine and this Izadi is balanced and ready to accompany a wide range of your favorite meals at home.

2005 Zuazo Gaston Rioja Crianza - $16.99
This is a family winery owned and managed by Prudencio Zuazo Gaston in Rioja Alavesa. His family has been growing grapes in Rioja Alavesa for a few hundred years. Though they still sell much of their production, they produce an increasing quantity of their own wine. And that’s a good thing. All four major varieties (Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano) are grown, and together they produce a classically styled Rioja crianza – full of bright red fruit, a touch of savory spice, and a mellow, nicely balanced end taste.

1994 Viَña Valoria Rioja Gran Reserva - $59.99
Located in Logroño (La Rioja Alta), Viña Valoria produces an impressive range of traditionally styled Riojas. For fans of mature Bordeaux, might I suggest this special gran reserva bottling from the terrific 1994 ‘cosecha’ in Rioja . There is a very savory nose of beef tenderloin, damp clay and roasted poblano peppers (some unique aromas, to be sure, but together they’re just fine - work with me here people!). On the palate there is red fruit, a touch of sun dried tomato, some mineral on the back end, and fully resolved tannins – the mouth feel is velvety and all one could hope for in a mature red wine. This wine is currently drinking at its peak. Drink it up now and over the next few years.

The battery is re-charged

After a busy week of cinema, Pro Tools, quarterly inventory at work, and an irregular sleep schedule, I think I should be back to normal.

Great day today (Sunday), without any wine consumption, wine reading, or contemplation - well, not quite. The exception was some cheap, warm climate sangiovese (2007 F. Mantellassi 'Maritma' Maremma Toscana IGT) with linguini marinara at dinner. I awoke having had 9 hours of sleep and then drank Gyokuro green tea. Headed up to the garden, saw The Killers on the big screen, decided to go on an impromptu afternoon bike ride to the Golden Gate bridge and up the Marin headlands, watched the last 2:30 of the superbowl, and for all intents and purposes finished up my first full song on Pro Tools. It is untitled for now. The song functioned as an introduction to beat production: find a terrific sample, loop it, and add a bit of additional instrumental color. I'm pleased with it. Not the most original work, as it seems to be right out of the mid 90's (it brings to mind early Mobb Deep in particular), but still I like the results.

Attention qualified, skilled MC's.

Spread the word - Old World Old School's gonna soon have some killer beats.

Dem Boyz from BMORE Represent

'Brother Sport,' the last track on Animal Collective's recently released Merriweather Post Pavillion LP, is undoubtedly an homage to Baltimore club(essentially sped up house music). I'm guessing that the band listened to their share of hip-hop station 92Q growing up.

Would be awesome if some of the city's club DJ's were actually spinning this track, somewhere between whatever Lil Wayne and T.I. remixes are currently floating around out there.

Protecting the brand, Champagne Style

What do you think of the above full page ad that the Vignerons et Maisons de Champagne are currently running in the New Yorker (and elsewhere?) A few initial reactions:

Which US sparkling wine producers persist in labelling their product as Champagne (other than maybe Korbel, J Roger, or other cheap fizz makers)?

The rather significant, recent price increases in champagne might also be legal, but are they fair?

Advertising in a high brow publication such as the New Yorker, wouldn't the US office of Champagne realize that they are sort of preaching to the choir, or at least to a readership that, if they care enough to buy a bottle of bubbly that in fact is real champagne, would know the difference?

Seems like a waste of money here. But then again, when you're wasting money on all manner of fertilizers, herbicides and other products to grow your grapes, as well as wasting money on perceived 'luxury' packaging, what's a little extra wasted money on a poorly targeted advertising and PR campaign?

Noir City 7

Opening night for the wildly successful, 7th annual Noir City Film festival recently took place at the Castro Theater this past Saturday night. It's a must for any film noir aficionado. Or in my case, for anyone who merely wants to play (and dress) the part, while enjoying the communal cinema experience in the unbeatable Castro Theater ambience. This year, the festival focuses on the media, with an opening night double bill that featured Deadline USA (starring Humphrey Bogart) and Scandal Sheet. I enjoyed the former for the sharp, punchy writing and typically witty, no nonsense performance by Mr. Bogart, while the latter also had terrific writing and prescient commentary on the dumbing down of the daily newspaper.

Noir City 7 runs at the Castro Theater, with two films screened nightly (7:30pm and 9:30pm) through this Sunday February 1st.


Local wine blogger, keepin' it noir

ANIMAL COLLECTIVE - MY GIRLS

Well, Animal Collective's latest album, named after the Frank Gehry designed concert venue Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD, has been out for a few weeks now. I look forward to finally downloading a copy, and also to seeing the band perform in May at the newly renovated Fox Theater in Oakland.

Chances are that some of you are into this band and have already seen this video for the song 'My Girls.' But for everyone else, check out the cosmic, sample based, beautifully harmonized sounds of Animal Collective, set to a pretty cool video.