Bourgogne Rouge from Michel Gros 2003

It has been too long since I've had some good wine, so I decided to write this one down.

Michel Gros comes through with this exceptional Burgundy from the Cote de Nuits. This full-bodied pinot noir is fruit forward with soft tannins and some chocolate undertones. It's drinking exceptionally well right now on it's own. It will also pair well with many meals. I think it would be exceptional with red meats or roast chicken or even pasta with red sauce. This wine with the right cheese would be phenomenal. It took very little time to open up. I saw no need to decant. The second glass was better than the first. I saved a glass or two for myself for tonight, and I'm sure it'll be better than the previous night.

San Gennaro

I must admit I haven't been drinking much wine lately. Not unless you count the glass of the house wine (a very smooth Chianti) I had at a restaurant called Benito in Little Italy at the San Gennaro fest. It's a great celebration that takes place every year around this time in New York City. It's a tribute to the patron saint of Naples, but for the most part it's a food filled feeding frenzy on Mulberry Street.

I went to the fest with my friend Steve, and to celebrate in the spirit of the Saint, we ate a bit and played a few games. Well, Steve played at one of those booths where you shoot a water gun at a target and one Grover doll races the other dolls up to the top of the booth. After just two tries, he managed to win a huge stuffed Nemo.

I got one of those Henna tattoos. It looked like fun, so I got one of the Chinese symbol for luck. I felt I could use some. The symbol looks kind of like a capital letter "H" turned on it's side with a square underneath it. A friend of mine pointed out that if looked at sideways it spells the word "HO." I thought that was brilliant, and it made me glad the mark wasn't permanent. There was a a great lady named Trudy who did my tattoo. I had her paint me on my left forearm on the under side of the arm about 3 inches south of the crook of my elbow.

What I didn't realize was this weird goop they put on me needed to dry. She said it wouldn't take long, but I still had to navigate a very crowded street without messing up the tattoo or getting it all over the white dress shirt I was wearing. Luckily I managed to spare the tattoo and the shirt. Unfortunately I had basically lost the use of my left arm because I had to keep it straight the whole time. When got to the restaurant, this along with my somewhat klutzy nature led me to spill about half the glass of Chianti on the table, the floor and on my white dress shirt... Some luck.

I knew about the fest for years, but I'd never gone. New York is funny that way. You can spend 10 years here and still not get to these cool little things that happen here every year.

If you're in NY, or even in your own town somewhere in America, please seek out and find these little events. There are great festivals all over the country. There is wine, music, food and people to meet. If you get a fake tattoo, wait 'til it dries before walking through crowded streets to dinner. If you're going to eat a lot and drink red wine, don't wear white.

Savigny-les-Beaune 1er Cru 2004

A spectacular white from Domaine Simon Bize & Fils. This is a beautiful crisp, full-bodied, earthy wine with a nice backbone. I found it to be earthy with nice fruit. I detected notes of pear. It is drinking very well right now. I paired it with some sea bass. It was a great combination. This wine is worth the price. It can be found for $49.99

Musso barbera d'alba 2004

This is a newly released wine from Italy. Beautiful soft tannins wrapped in black berry and black cherry flavors. It's ready for drinking right out of the bottle. Opens up easy with a little swirl in the glass. If you've been drinking white since the summer and are looking to ease your way back into red. This is a great transitional wine.

Happy drinking!

Update

Hi all,

Apologies for not keeping the blog more updated with new and exciting wine reviews. I've been busy lately with work and artistic pursuits which I hope to update on this site as well. My production company, Behind the Rabbit Productions, has recently wrapped our latest short film and is heading into production on our newest short film project. We're also working on a podcast of a radio play.
I have sadly been neglecting my palette and haven't been sampling much wine over the summer. Now that the fall is in full swing, I will do my best to go to tastings, and try reds and whites I haven't encountered. I hope to broaden my spectrum of wines and their countries of origin. I have explored Burgundy and the Loire Valley and Rhone. I also have a fondness for Spanish wine. I soon hope to branch out to Bourdeaux, and other parts of France, Italy, South Africa and yes, America too.
Please keep checking this site for more reviews coming soon.
For an update on my film endeavors, visit www.myspace.com/btrp.
Happy drinking.

Jason

Rivola From Sardon De Duerdo

This is a robust, full-bodied red from Spain. It fills the mouth with red fruit and has a lasting finish. It goes well with red meats. I had it with some baked ziti, and it went very well with the heavy cheese and red sauce. This is definitely a food wine. There are some tannins, so I suggest letting it open up for a while. The second glass will be better than the first. For those of you who love Spanish wine, you'll love this. This wine will soften with time, so there's no need to be in a rush. You may want to put it in the cellar for a bit. It's a great value at under $15.

Minervois from Chateau de Paraza 2002

Another wonderful wine from the Languedoc region of France. An elegant balance of fruit in this medium bodied red. I had it with some cheeses. The first glass was a bit tannic, but when allowed to breathe, the wine really opens up and softens.

It handles a bit of sharp Irish cheddar very well. The Languedoc has been producing some excellent wines. Be sure to be on the look out for them.