WTN: Carlou, Grove Mill, Drouhin, Matthews, Zemmer and a great 05 Brouilly

[Jenise]

On Monday night we met with our architect, and when our talks spilled into happy hour I offered glasses of wine. Craig requested red wine, then added "sweet". Nothing flummoxes me more--I can't even think what people who request sweet red wine could possibly have in mind. So I went to my cellar and pulled the sweetest red wine I have, the 2003 Glen Carlou Syrah from South Africa. I bought a bottle plus a backup s some time ago for a Pal-Cal kind of exercise with my Vancouver buddies, and this was the second bottle. I hadn't liked the first: way too sleek, modern and confected. Girly. With another year in bottle it showed more peppery qualities but the original objections still apply and that's why it was perfect for purpose: Craig had a second glass.

Last night, weather issues prevented me from trekking to Vancouver for dinner, so I consoled myself by inviting some friends over to share a casual dinner of Shepherd's Pie and salad.

First, we sampled the Vacuvinned/refrigerated remains of the 05 Tedeschi Soave we'd opened on Sunday: yuck. The creamy guava veneer was gone and all that was left was an ugly little wine that tasted like motor oil. Buy again? Absolutely not. So instead we opened:

2003 Peter Zemmer Pinot Grigio, Alto Adige Now this is what we want when we want an Italian white wine. Pear and apple fruit, mild lemon acidity, bright and yet elegant in that unique way these Northern Italian whites can have. I stole these for $3 ea and am thrilled to have five more.

2004 Drouhin Laforet Bourgogne Never been a fan of the Laforet label and never expect a bottle to be more than just moderately good, so this bottle a guest brought shocked me with how good it was. Vivid pinot fruit, balanced and correct, and immediately slurpable. Prolly the best $10 pinot I've ever tasted.

2005 Domaine Robert Perroud Brouilly "l'Enfer des Balloquets" Like the Drouhin, this wine was recommended and sold to my friends by the impeccably palate-ed John DeGloria at Slough Foods. It's almost easier to describe what it is by describing what it's not: it's gorgeously ripe but it's not overripe, nor is it extracted or full of bananas. This joins the Brun at the top of my favorite 05 Bojo list. It's a little bolder and juicier than the Brun, but perhaps a tad more serious too. Marc D: put this on your shopping list. I'm going to ask John to order more. Don't know the cost but my friends say they bought six bottles for about $60, so it couldn't have been much. My WOTN.

2005 Grove Mill pinot noir, Marlborough
I had great memories of visiting this winery with Robin and Sue Courtney winery back in 2000, so I picked up a few bottles recently to try. Darker than the last two, mostly raspberry and a hint of blueberry, and weighed down by a sweetness that caused vanilla and caramel to get mentioned before we decided that maple was the better fit. Well made, but not in a style I enjoy. Next time a guest asks for a sweet red wine, this is the one I'm pulling.

1999 Matthews Red Wine, Yakima Valley
David B if you're reading: this is from the batch I picked up at auction for $10 ea. And they're fine: definitely like your bottle and not my last one from the pair purchased locally. Complex red and black fruit with dusty tannins, leather and earth. At or close to peak, but should hold here and possibly improve for a couple years.
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[David M. Bueker]

I am reading, and glad to hear your other bottles are sound!

First, why in the world do you need an architect??? New house??

I know what you mean about the Laforet Bourgogne. The last I had was the 2001. Maybe I should try this vintage...

I've had some great Italian whites over the last year...but $3?? Are you kidding me????? Big Lots?

[Jenise]

Remodeling. New kitchen and bathrooms, the need for which you experienced first hand.

Yeah, $3. Not Big Lots. Auction!

$3 a bottle for the Peter Zemmer? That's not only a steal, it's probably a felony. I don't remember exactly what they go for here, but it's way higher than $3 - and I think more than $10.

Thanks for the tip on the Brouilly. As soon as things thaw out a little more I am going to pay a visit to John.

Remodeling. New kitchen and bathrooms, the need for which you experienced first hand.

Yeah, $3. Not Big Lots. Auction!

So what countertop material did you choose? What range or cooktop? Personally, I lust after a hood with outside venting but it just won't happen where I am.

Before I redid my kitchen I never noticed anyone elses unless I was stuck cooking on an electric stove. Now it's a center of interest. During my recent condo-hunting period (just decided what I'm buying on Friday) I drove all the agents crazy by critiquing every kitchen I saw. Most people apparently just care what it looks like and now how it will be used .

Anyone of you had recent Laforet Blancs? Any good?

Personally, I lust after a hood with outside venting but it just won't happen where I am.

Before I redid my kitchen I never noticed anyone elses unless I was stuck cooking on an electric stove. Now it's a center of interest. During my recent condo-hunting period (just decided what I'm buying on Friday) I drove all the agents crazy by critiquing every kitchen I saw. Most people apparently just care what it looks like and now how it will be used .

Jay,
At our house the most important room is the kitchen and at most social events the problem is how to get people out of the kitchen. It is where the wine, wine glasses and appetizer prep is happening. Was in Flushing last weekend at our daughters and she was complaining about having such a bad stove and having to replace it. When they moved in they asked the previous owners if the stove worked. They said they thought so but they never used it. How can you exist without a decent kitchen??
Walt
PS: I have a Viking range with their heavy duty hood vented to the outside. It works well but you still get grease in the air and the smoke alarm goes off. Hoods look good and do serve a function but may be overated.

[Jenise]

Jay, I have the luxury of a large kitchen space, about 15 x 25, so I'll have a lot of discrete areas and will be able to use a variety of surfaces. My house is very square and has a organic/industrial feel to it, so as of this writing I am planning on a combination of granite (nipped, unpolished edges), concrete, formica and wood. The stove will be a Viking range, 6 burner and grill, with a 20 foot high vent pipe. Should be very dramatic.

Did you move again recently? I remember when you remodeled the kitchen of the place you'd just bought about, mmm, five years ago. I definitely know what you mean about driving agents crazy on the kitchen thing. What they thought was "good" was usually in my eyes merely adequate, if that. Appliances can be switched out but poor storage/lack of pantry etc is terminal.

Anyone of you had recent Laforet Blancs? Any good?

Nope, not around here but out to find that Rouge!! Otto, new Open Mike posted.

Did you move again recently? I remember when you remodeled the kitchen of the place you'd just bought about, mmm, five years ago. I definitely know what you mean about driving agents crazy on the kitchen thing. What they thought was "good" was usually in my eyes merely adequate, if that. Appliances can be switched out but poor storage/lack of pantry etc is terminal.

It was only 2.5 years ago (and it took about a year of agony for the entire sorry story to be done). After much apartment hunting I'm buying a place in a new building that will complete in November of next year. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to redo the kitchen or live with the default for a year or two until my finances recover from the move.

[Jenise]

Sounds like, even though you're getting in early you can't upgrade the kitchen now instead of buying the default--ouch! That's like buying two kitchens. I had to live with my situation for longer than I thought I would in order to figure out how to make the best of it (which involved accepting that the changes needed to be more extensive and expensive than originally thought), but in a brand new place you wouldn't neccessarily need to do that. The one advantage to the delay in my case is that I had time to find some deals, like $450 for a brand new $1000 warming drawer.