Wine Dinner - Charleston: An Evening with The Phantom

Wine Dinner #2: Music of the Night
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This past weekend my girlfriend and I took a road trip to Charleston, SC to celebrate Easter, and to experience the Broadway production of The Phantom of the Opera! Masked in the shadows of the opera house, the Phantom glides along the stage to enact his mysterious and dangerous plans. Just how the Phantom glides like smoke, my girlfriend and I swept through the city of Charleston to experience its food and culture (not as sinister as the Phantom's but this worked well for us). There were two restaurants in particular that I need to praise: Magnolia's and Anson! This dinner post focuses on the food, the wine, and the excellent and accommodating service of Anson.

~ Appetizer/Overture ~
Food: She Crab soup + sesame bread
Wine Name: Handley
Grape: Pinot Noir
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2012
Price: $13.99 (Anson: Glass)

Wine Review:
      "This dark ruby colored Pinot Noir from Handley opens with cherry-cola bouquet with hints of clove and faint red raspberry. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, slightly acidic and savory. The flavor profile is a red plum and mild oak blend with notes of black currant. I also detected a hint of pomegranate. The finish is dry and its flavors are slightly prolonged. This Pinot would pair well with a grilled salmon burger. Enjoy"- Ken's Wine Guide

Personal Review:
       Another excellent Pinot Noir but this time from California. It had an outstanding nose emanating with aromas of red cherries and red raspberries. I think I detected a little blueberry in there, which was interesting. This wine definitely had a hint of dirt to it, which made me think of some Old World Pinot Noirs. On the palette, it had some pomegranate taste with a little oak (very surprising to me since I didn't smell it on the nose). With the She crab soup, this wine wasn't the best pairing since the soup was a thicker, and more creamy soup to begin with. I did like the wine by itself anyway!

Personal Score: VG (4.0/5)

~ Entree/Reprise ~
Food: Duck Leg
Wine Name: Elouan
Grape: Pinot Noir
Region: Oregon
Country: USA
Year: 2014
Price: $12.99 (Anson: Glass)

Wine Description:
      "Flavors of rich red plum, bright cherry, subtle earthiness and a hint of sweet tobacco, creating complex layers with soft, refined tannins." - Napa Valley Connection

Personal Review:
     I was honestly shocked by this wine. I love Pinot Noirs, especially ones for Oregon, but this one had a very distinct nose to it. I detected cinnamon and red cherries right off the bat (an unusual smell but it's what I could pinpoint). By itself this wine had very little acidity and definitely let the various fruit notes take over this ensemble: strawberry, cherry, with a little cinnamon piece to liven the wine up even more. With the greasiness of the duck leg, I thought the food did an amazing job complimenting the wine. The two together harmonized and created a very pleasant and silky aspect that was not present before. I highly recommend this wine to anyone interested in another great Pinot Noir from Oregon!

Personal Score: VG (4.5/5)

~ Dessert/Encore ~
Food: Almond basket w/ vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, & strawberries
Wine Name: Alexander Valley Vineyards
Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $9.99 (Anson: Glass)

Wine Review:
      "Alexander Valley Vineyards has been making Cabernet Sauvignon for a long time, and the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is from 100% organically grown grapes. It has a saturated purple color and offers up big, juicy, rather classic Cabernet Sauvignon that is super-concentrated, with loads of chocolate, plum, blackberry, and cassis. Smoky earth as well as underbrush and forest floor are also present in this big back-strapping, super-rich wine. Is it the 2013 vintage or is this the new super-duper style Alexander Valley Vineyards is cultivating? There are 1,200 cases of this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that should age brilliantly for at least 20-25 years. Rating: 92(+?)" - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Personal Review:
      I don't think I've mentioned in this post how amazing the food at Anson was...if you visit Charleston, SC check them out for dinner!! Anyway, this Cabernet Sauvignon had quite the noticeable nose just sitting there on the table. Alexander Valley's Cab had plum and chocolate on the nose, something even my girlfriend could detect! It was a hardier wine but had a smooth consistency making it dance on my tongue. I thought this wine very much was complimented by our dessert. The cool ice cream, sweetness of the almond basket, and the decadence of the chocolate syrup paired extremely well with the wine. I would highly recommend this wine for someone who doesn't want a super sweet dessert wine!

Personal Score: VG (4.2/5)

Wine & Cheese - Three Blind Mice

Wine & Cheese #1: Three Blind Mice
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I invited my friend Lassallete Newton to join me for a wine and cheese event that focused on red wines from the Rhone valley region of France. The title for this post is more than perfect. I thought it would be fun if we didn't know which wine was which! One wine was $24.95, one was $10.95, and one was $9.95 (all prices from the Vintage Cellar). Not only is this a wine and cheese pairing, but it's also a fun blind taste test that allowed us to see if we could detect a difference between the wines. Is the most expensive wine the best? Is a cheaper wine just as good as the more expensive one? Please note that I am a college student and therefore do not have fancy decanters, so I let the Rhone wines decant in three pitchers for 2 hours. I think letting them open up for that long incredibly benefitted the wines!
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Image Above: [Background] three Rhone valley wines from Southern France, labeled with 1, 2, and 3

[Foreground] three cheeses (left to right): Sartori Merlot Belavitano, Roth Kasse Butter Kase, & Murray Pawlet

~ Blind Taste Results ~
Mystery Rhone 1:
      I enjoyed the nose on this wine very much; I detected black cherry, and black raspberry predominantly, with some hint of spice. This wine had a very nice taste to it as well, exposing itself with spices, cherries, and bitterness that sat on the back of your tongue for about 10 seconds. I think I finally understand what people say when they describe the wine as "round" because that's exactly the word that came to mind! I tried this wine with the three cheese and have written responses below:

Sartori Merlot: YES
Roth Kasse: NO
Murray Pawlet: YES

Mystery Rhone 2:
      Out of the two wines I've tasted so far, this one is my favorite. After swirling and doing a sniffy-sniff, I could smell raspberries, strawberries, and even an herb of some type [thyme or rosemary maybe?]. This is one smooth, silky wine and delivered much of the fruit I described above. I tried this wine with the three cheese and have written responses below:

Sartori Merlot: YES <--- excellent with this cheese!
Roth Kasse: YES
Murray Pawlet: YES

Mystery Rhone 3:
      This wine was a major disappointment. I smelled the wine for a few minutes but really couldn't get a nose. Taste-wise, it was tart and acidic; not a good wine to drink. I tried this wine with the three cheese and have written responses below:

Sartori Merlot: NO
Roth Kasse: YES <--- made the wine taste slightly less acidic, but not the best
Murray Pawlet: NO

~ Removing the Veil ~
Mystery Rhone 1!
Name: Segries Cotes du Rhone
Grape: Grenche, Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan
Region: Rhone Valley
Country: France
Year: 2013
Price: $10.95 (Vintage Cellar)

Wine Review:
      "Full-bodied but approachable, this wine shows a slightly horsey edge on the nose, and pleasingly suede-like flavors and textures underlying the raspberry fruit. It’s a complex mélange that should likely be consumed over the next couple of years. — J.C." Wine Enthusiast Review

Personal Opinion:
      I would recommend this wine to someone who doesn't want to spend a lot of money on a good red wine from Rhone. I mean this wine was $10.95, not too bad for special occasions as a college student! 

Personal Score: G (3.8/5)

Mystery Rhone 2!
Name: Secret de Princes Chateauneuf du Pape
Grape: Grenche, Syrah, Mourvedre
Region: Rhone Valley
Country: France
Year: 2013
Price: $24.95 (Vintage Cellar)

Wine Review:
      "The 2013 Secret des Princes delivers aromas of raspberries, and red berries followed by wet stones along with hints of chocolate-licorice and rosemary. The medium body is supported by fine tannins and a silky texture as it heads into the clean and delicate finish. Composed of 90% Grenache, 5% Mourvedre, 5% Syrah. (Best 2015-2019) - J.D." International Wine Report

Personal Opinion:
      This one was my favorite of the bunch and rightfully so. I would definitely recommend this wine to anyone who wants to impress your boss with a stellar Rhone wine. It's not a typical cabernet sauvignon or merlot; this wine focuses on the grape, grenche, and does an excellent job of letting the fruit do the talking! 

Personal Score: VG (4.5/5)

Mystery Rhone 3!
Name: Arnoux Seigneur de Lauris Cotes du Rhone
Grape: Grenche
Region: Rhone Valley
Country: France
Year: 2014
Price: $9.95 (Vintage Cellar)

Winemaker's Note:
      "Produced with grapes that have been selected very carefully, its vinification and maturation process build into this wine a very strong personality, with its fruity nose, its spicy pepper notes and its touches of vanilla. In mouth, fruity and generous, its long and round finish develops a subtle bouquet, lightly woody after aging 5 to 8 years."

Personal Opinion:
      It baffles me that between this wine and the first Rhone wine, the difference is by a single dollar...yet that single dollar makes a world of difference with taste! I almost hate saying this but unlike the Secret de Princes being an "impress your boss wine", this one is for a friend who isn't really a friend but you have to uphold a relationship of some kind. I was very disappointed in this Rhone wine.

Personal Score: NG (2.8/5)

Wine Dinner #1 - Home: Be My Valentine

Wine Dinner #1: Be My Valentine
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*Note: I could've sworn I posted this entry a long time ago, but apparently there was an issue sharing this blog post. I've remedied the situation and hope you enjoy this Valentine's themed dinner!*

Valentine's Day is known as THE most romantic day of the calendar year. Full of flowers, chocolates, love, and even stuffed animals, Valentine's Day has radically evolved from it's darker, Roman origin. The festival of Lupercalia, a three day celebration of sacrifices and lotteries, involved young men hitting women to increase their fertility...not sure where the science was in all that, but I'm definitely glad that we don't practice this anymore. I much prefer calm dinners and an exchange of gifts with your loved ones, so I organized a dinner on Valentine's Day with my girlfriend, her sister, my roommate, and his girlfriend [Lassallete Newton].

~ Appetizer ~
Food: Brie cheese & pretzels
Wine Name: Apothic
Grape: Zinfandel, Syrah, Merlot, & Cab Sauvignon
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $9.99 (Kroger UCB)

Wine Description:
      "Apothic Red reveals intense fruit aromas and flavors of blackberry and dark cherry layered with hints of mocha, chocolate and brown spice. The plush, velvety mouthfeel and smooth finish round out this intriguing, full-bodied red blend."

Personal Review:
      Apothic Red was a surprising little red blend that intrigued me. It is not one of my favorite blends out there from California, but good nonetheless. After a sniffy-sniff, I detected strawberry and black cherry, with a hint of coffee or chocolate (I'm not 100% sure of either). On the tongue it was dry and definitely brought out the black cherry I smelled. It had a funny effect when I started to drink the wine while eating the Brie cheese and pretzels. The wine opened up and exposed its acidity more, which I think paired quite well with the smooth, richness of the Brie.  

Personal Score: G (3.2/5); G (3.5/5 with Brie)

~ Entree ~
Food: Baked Red Snapper with a Dijon Mustard glaze, green beans, and sweet potato casserole
Wine Name: Starborough
Grape: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Marlborough
Country: New Zealand
Year: 2015
Price: $10.99 (Kroger UCB)

Wine Description:
      "Starborough Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc’s crisp, approachable style is characterized by layers of citrus and ripe tropical fruit with some herbal notes. The wine shows flavors of passion fruit, guava and kiwi over a citrus background."

Personal Review:
      Fruit BOMB Alert!! Wow, you are smacked in the nose by citrus, garden herbs, and a little Granny Smith apple. On the palette, I tasted citrus and more of the Granny Smith apple, which gave this wine a nice crisp aspect to it. I thought the sweet, fruity taste of the Starborough Sauvignon Blanc paired well with the red snapper. The crisp flavor of the wine I thought paired exceptionally well with the green beans.

Personal Score: G (3.5/5 with food)

~ Dessert ~
Food: Pilsbury Sugar Cookies
Wine Name: Simi
Grape: Chardonnay
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2014
Price: $12.99 (Kroger UCB)

Wine Description:
      "Simi Chardonnay is characterized by excellent balance, luscious fruit flavors and a long, elegant finish. Lively on the palate with green apple, stone fruit and light citrus, accented by cream and spice notes from barrel fermentation.

Personal Review:
      The Simi Chardonnay is still my absolute favorite Chardonnay I've had so far in my side career as a wine drinker. I do have to thank my neighbor for introducing me to this lovely wine! I've had this wine on multiple occasions and on the nose I've been able to detect a spices, citrus, Granny Smith apple, wet rock, and some oak, giving this wine an absolutely beautiful aroma. Taste-wise, I can detect the apple, citrus, and oak for sure. The after taste includes some of that wet rock I discussed on the nose. However, it is not a dessert wine and therefore doesn't show it's brilliance alongside the Pillsbury cookies. I highly recommend this wine to someone who love a good Chardonnay!

Personal Score: VG (4.3/5)

Tasting - Canyon Road Winery

Wine Tasting #14
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Name: Canyon Road
Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2014
Price: $8.00 (Blackstone Grill - Glass)

First Pour Wine Review:
      "Sight – Inky black with deep red edges, possible glass obfuscation

Smell – Black plums, black currant, dark cherries, dark chocolate, subtle spicing. A very fruit forward nose

Sip – Generally low acid, fairly smooth, and rather weighty.  Chocolate, black currant, plum skin, and a subtle dusty, stemmy flavor comes forward.  It’s not a clear set of flavors though.

Savor – The tannins are not super aggressive, plum, earth, and a bit of a cedar note round out the finish" 

Winemaker's Note:
      "Medium- bodied wine with rich and flavorful hints of ripe raspberry and a velvety smooth finish"
                                                                                           - Canyon Road Winery
Personal Review:
     Canyon Road's 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon is a good wine, but not one to rave about. It was a standard, run-of-the-mill Cab Sauvignon with a decent taste but excellent and pleasing smell to it. When the glass was given to me at Blackstone Grill, located in Christiansburg, VA, I swirled for a good few minutes and as I swirled the glass, I could immediately smell the wine particles wafting towards my nose. It had a very aromatic and fruity nose to it, conjuring up descriptors like black cherry, black pepper, and dark chocolate. I could've honestly spent the next hour smelling the wine! I ordered beef brisket with this wine and it was a decent complement to the dish but maybe something that was a bit bolder and more full bodied would've been a better choice. On the tongue, I tasted some of the black cherry I smelled, but definitely had a strawberry aspect to it. There wasn't much of a hot sensation, so I suspect this wine to be lower in alcohol content. After taking notes on the nose and taste, I honestly think the best part about this tasting was the nose of the wine.

Personal Score: G (3.9/5)

Tasting - Baron des Chartons

Wine Tasting #13
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Name: Baron des Chartrons
Grape: Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Bordeaux
Country: France
Year: 2013
Price: $27.00 (Black Hen-Bottle)
          $8.00 (Black Hen-Glass)
          $12.99 (Kroger UCB)

Winemaker Note:
       "Beautiful bright red, with the brilliance of a young wine. The nose is full of fresh fruit, cherry and notes of undergrowth. On the palate, this wine has balance and finesse. An elegant wine, with discreet tannic structure, a clean attack, and a long, aromatic mouth." 

Personal Review:
     Bordeaux is a newer grape to me and is slowly becoming one of my top 5 favorite grapes. I recently went to the Black Hen, located in downtown Blacksburg, with my girlfriend and decided to have a glass of wine with dinner. They offered certain wines by glass, but most by bottle. I opted for a glass of Bordeaux with the idea that I would be ordering a flank steak. When my glass came out, I swirled the wine for about 5 minutes to coat the glass with the wine molecules and break up the tannins. The nose of this Bordeaux was extremely pleasing, expressing elements of cherry and some other fruits that I couldn't quite separate from one another. On the tongue, it was a bigger, and bolder wine but didn't have much of a harsh tannic tone (probably because I let this wine aerate for a bit). The Bordeaux was alive and kicking, but paired extremely well with my flank steak. The steak itself had melted brie cheese, so the sweet and warm nature of the brie helped unify the steak with the wine. I would highly recommend this wine for a bigger Bordeaux drinker or a wino who like a cheaper bottle of Bordeaux!

Personal Score: VG (4.2/5)

*Image Above: my girlfriend was very kind to pose next to the wine.*

Tasting - Local Hilton Head Wines Part 2

Wine Tasting #12 Spring Break Edition
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Venue Name: The Carolina Tasting Room

Location: Coligny Plaza 1 North Forest Beach
                Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Price Paid: $3.00 US
Wines Tasted: Hilton Head Nebbiolo
                       Island Winery American Riesling
                       Daufuskie Time Key Lime
                       Forest Beach Peach White
                       Carolina Cherry Red
                       Palmetto Pomegranate Red
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Image Above: [from left to right] Palmetto Pomegranate Red, Carolina Cherry Red, Forest Beach Peach White, Daufuskie Time Key Lime, Island Winery American Riesling, Hilton Head Nebbiolo 

*Note: I couldn't find reviews for these local wines so this post will only have personal reviews.*

Name: Island Winery

Grape: Chardonnay

Region: South Carolina

Country: USA

Year: 2013

Price: $22.99 (Carolina Tasting Room)

Personal Review:

     Another fruit bomb...actually no this isn't just a bomb it's an atomic fruit bomb of sweet explosions [AFBSE]! Wow did this wine taste sweet! Out of the fruity-grape wines I've tasted so far here, this one is my favorite fruity-grape one. I am a sucker for peach, so the Hilton Head Forest Peach Beach catered to my sweet tooth. This one is a Chardonnay based with a peach infusion, giving it a sweet peach characteristic.

Personal Score: G (3.0/5)

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Name: Island Winery

Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: South Carolina

Country: USA

Year: 2013

Price: $17.99 (Carolina Tasting Room)

Personal Review:

     BOOM right in your face here's a wine that combines Cabernet Sauvignon and cherry. Unlike descriptions of wine where you last hints of black cherry, this wine says, "Hey! I'm gonna smack you in the face with cherry". You can immediately smell the cherry emanating from the tiny cup and can taste it as soon as the wine reaches your tongue. A very fruity wine that made me think of cherry-flavored cough medicine.

Personal Score: NG (2.0/5)

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Name: Island Winery

Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: South Carolina

Country: USA

Year: 2014

Price: $21.99 (Carolina Tasting Room)

Personal Review:

     This wine was very similar to the previous Cabernet Sauvignon but instead of cherry, this one had a pomegranate infusion. It was very sweet almost to the point of bitter. Again I couldn't taste much of the grape, making this seem to be less of a wine and more of a wine cooler. I would recommend these wines if you enjoy very sweet wines that don't taste like wine.

Personal Score: NG (2.6/5)

Tasting - Local Hitlon Head Wines Part 1

Wine Tasting #11 Spring Break Edition
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Venue Name: The Carolina Tasting Room

Location: Coligny Plaza 1 North Forest Beach
                Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Price Paid: $3.00 US
Wines Tasted: Hilton Head Nebbiolo
                       Island Winery American Riesling
                       Daufuskie Time Key Lime
                       Forest Beach Peach White
                       Carolina Cherry Red
                                                                           Palmetto Pomegranate Red
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Image Above: [from left to right] Palmetto Pomegranate Red, Carolina Cherry Red, Forest Beach Peach White, Daufuskie Time Key Lime, Island Winery American Riesling, Hilton Head Nebbiolo 

*Note: This wine tasting post is going to be slightly different than the normal blog entries because unlike other major wines I've reviewed, critiques and professional reviews will be scarce. If the vineyard has a description of the wine it will be included but otherwise this post will only contain my own personal impressions.*

Name: Island Winery
Grape: Nebbiolo
Region: South Carolina
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $16.99 (Carolina Tasting Room [CTR])

Personal Review:
     The Hilton Head Nebbiolo surprised me because it was radically different from Nebbiolo based wines. In terms of smell,  the wine did not have much of a floral component. I detected a hint of blackberry but it wasn't a strong aroma. The taste of the Hilton Head Nebbiolo was what shocked me because it was extremely dry and had a kick of spice and pepper. I am assuming that the humid climate of South Carolina had a major impact on how the grapes were grow and therefore affected how much residual sugar remained in the wine.

Personal Score: NG (2.5/5)
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Name: Island Winery
Grape: Riesling
Region: South Carolina
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $18.99 (Carolina Tasting Room)

Picture Note:
     I am still trying to figure out my new phone, I accidentally deleted the picture of the individual American Riesling bottle.

Personal Review:
    The American Riesling was very similar to your standard Riesling but lacked that element of "umph" you get from German Rieslings. It had a dry characteristic that verged on semi-sweet giving this wine a pleasant, refreshing taste. In terms of flavors, I would say that it had a wet rock or flinty taste which really made me think of a rocky beach shore.

Personal Score: G (3.3/5)
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Name: Island Winery
Grape: Pinot Grigio
Region: South Carolina
Country: USA
Year: 2014
Price: $16.99 (Carolina Tasting Room)

Personal Review:
     According to the lady behind the counter, this is a Pinot Grigio with a lime infusion giving it a unique, almost dessert quality kind of alcohol. Apparently this winery uses primarily sugary fruits with some grapes to make their wine. As much as I enjoyed a twist on traditional Old and New World styled wines, I couldn't make myself like this extremely sweet lime wine. The funny thing about this is that the wine actually tasted like a key-lime pie!

Personal Score: NG (2.8/5)