Extraordinary Juice

Bourgogne Rouge from Michel Gros 2003

2008-06-15T05:20:00.000-07:00

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

2007-09-22T21:57:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-21T14:26:00.000-07:00

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

2006-11-01T17:52:00.000-08:00

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

2006-10-29T20:32:00.000-08:00

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

2006-06-11T18:26:00.000-07:00

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

2006-04-09T15:59:00.000-07:00

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.

Tasting at Manor House Cellar-The reds

2006-03-24T10:30:00.000-08:00

Last night I went to Manor House Cellar on 23rd St. for a tasting of wines selected by the store’s two wine consultants, Michael and Mauro. All the wines were excellent. Here’s the rundown….

Corbierres, Domaine Fiallenc Ste. Marie 2003
This will make you tongue back-flip, wild black and red fruits on the palate. Barnyard on the nose, be careful not to hurt yourself when sampling the aroma. It’s very tasty, a blast to drink. $21.99.

Pic Saint Loop, Chateau de Lancyre 2003
Far more elegant and subtle than the Corbierres, this wine is a beautiful blend of well-balanced fruit. The tannins are nice and soft. Be sure to decant or let it breathe for a while before quaffing. $24.99

Bourgogne, Domaine Pierre Matrot 1998
One of Burgundy’s best years for Pinot, soft smooth tannin. Again, let it open up. Either decant or let it sit open for a couple of hours before quaffing. So easy to drink, you’ll polish off the bottle the first night. Great value at $21.99

Bourgogne, Domaine A-F Gros 2002
My God. This is some great pinot, elegant, well-balanced fruit. This is the entry level wine for these wine makers. Superb and luxurious, this is a red-carpet Bourgogne. $32.99 and worth every penny.

Bandol Rouge, Domaine La Suffrene 2001
What a lovely, velvety wine. It’s just gorgeous from the nose to the finish, smooth, soft tannins. Just magnificent. $28.99 and a great value.

Tasting at Manor House Cellar -the whites

2006-03-24T10:16:00.000-08:00

Sancerre, Pascal Jolivet 2003
This is a beautiful Sancerre, pure Sauvignon Blanc. A lovely wine with a crisp spark of mineral, very clean and steely character. Not to be Missed. $21.99 great value.

Savennieres, Cheteau de Chamboureau 2002
This wine comes from a region right next to Sancerre. Here the grape is Chenin Blanc. This has some of the characteristics of its nextdoor neighbor, but with more sweetness. One gets a little melon on the nose and a bit of honey on the palate. This is also a great buy at $23.99

Moulin De Gassac, Le Mezet Blanc and Rouge

2006-02-20T18:45:00.000-08:00

I haven't written in a while, and I really should be because I've had some very good wines lately. Recently I've had the Le Mezet Blanc and Le Mezet Rouge both are excellent. Both are fabulous and very drinkable upon opening. The best part is that both wines are under 15 bucks. I found these wines at Manor House Cellar. I hope they're not already sold out.

Medalla Real from Santa Rita Cabernet Sauvignon

2006-01-05T21:54:00.000-08:00

This wine is.... quite simply... beautiful. It's luscious and delightful. It's rich fruit and smooth tannins blend wonderfully on the palette and leave a silky finish. In my opinion it’s the best Chile has to offer. If you get the chance, pick up a bottle and enjoy.

Happy Thanksgiving

2005-11-25T18:09:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving holiday was one of the best in recent memory. It was filled with some of the things I love the most. There were great friends gathered round the table. There was a ton of great food, and of course great wine. Sadly I did not get to sample the 2004 vintage of the Cotes du Rhone from Caboche which apparently went over so well, it disappeared before I could taste it. The 2003 is still excellent though.

The Reds
I did get to sample the a Nero/Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Nu Har. It was full-bodied, lots of fruit and backbone. I got red and black cherry from it. I recommend having it with food. It would probably go very well with either steak or roast chicken. It may also go well with italian red sauce type foods. I also had a nice Malbec from Los Cardos. Great little wine, nice fruit and medium-full bodied. Malbec is usually used as a blending grape, but this was great all by itself. I opened the bottle early that day and let it breathe. I recommend pouring a bit into a glass and letting the bottle breathe for at least an hour or so before drinking. Always give it a good swish in the glass before tasting. Once opened its flavors and aromas are really enhanced.

The Whites
We also had a great little wine from Gazela in Portugal called Vhino Verde, a wonderful white effervescent wine. It's light and great for the summer. It's so easy to drink and has so much sparkle to it. The best part about it is it's quality for the price. This wine can be found for about 6 dollars. We also served a lovely Prosecco from La Marca which went over well. It's very inexspensive, about 10 or 11 dollars. It's better than most cheap sparkling wines. There was also a lovely Chardonnay/Viognier blend from Tortoise Creek. What a great little label. The blend has character and complexity in the blend. The Viognier give the wine a round fullness in the mouth that sits well with the crisp edge of the Chardonnay. Again a great value at around 9 dollars.

Please feel free to comment and tell me what you had for Thanksgiving. I'm always looking for new wines to sample. With more holidays to come I hope I've given some ideas for gift wines and wines to go with holiday get-togethers. Eat drink and be merry. Happy Holidays.

Domaine Pere Caboche Cotes Du Rhone 2003-Thanksgiving

2005-11-23T20:26:00.000-08:00

Recently I tried the Cotes Du Rhone from Caboche. All I can say is what a gem of a wine. It's medium bodied, fruity and easy to drink. It goes well as a solo act or accompanied by food. Caboche really knows how to make wine. I bought a bottle, drank half of it that night and finished it the next night. I immediately went back to the wine store to buy another bottle. There were only two left, so I grabbed one which will be part of tomorrow's Thanksgiving celebration. I discovered the 2004 vintage had just been released, so I bought a bottle for tomorrow as well. If possible I'll try them side by side.

In additon I bought a case of wine for Thanksgiving. I'll try to make some notes and reports for recommendations. There are whites and reds a plenty to try. It'll be a blast. I managed to get a great selection from Manor House Cellar on 23rd street in Manhattan. They were all very reasonably priced, and we got a discount for buying a case. Good deal. Anyway, happy Thanksgiving and Happy drinking. Please feel free to post your comments.

NYC Marathon and upcoming events

2005-11-06T18:54:00.000-08:00

Today, the band and I played on a Brooklyn street corner for the NYC Marathon. It was a great event, and a lot of fun. Our next gig is November 16th at the Pussy Cat Lounge, and it should be a blast. I'm also looking forward to doing the NY Christmas Revels this year which is sure to be a great show (nyrevels.org).

I've been under the weather lately, so I haven't been drinking wine. I hope to report some new wines when I'm fully recovered.

Routas Syrah 2001

2005-10-15T18:43:00.000-07:00

Wow. I'm sitting here quaffing this lovely full-bodied bold syrah. It is so smooth. It's big, but it's goes down easy. This wine is great with food or by itself. I had it with a little italian food. It would be wonderful with a steak or a good cheese. The fruit is forward and fills the mouth with red and black berry. It has all the great qualities of Syrah and none of the bad qualities. In fact, I didn't have to let it breath but a minute on the table before downing it like a thief who thinks he'll never have good wine again. I highly recommend this wine for people who love young red wine.

blues harp

2005-10-10T17:15:00.000-07:00

Sonny Boy Williamson, Junior Wells, James Cotton, these men are the masters of the blues harp. Listening to what they can do with an average harmonica is mind-blowing if you'll pardon the unintended pun. Blues is the essential American music. I wish I could explain its beauty, its joy, its catharsis. You can't help but feel better after playing the blues. Playing blues harp hard and loud takes the stress out of me. I feel like my weekly struggles melt out of my shoulders. I can't play as well as the masters, but I play with feeling and people seem to like it.

We just played this gig at a party with swing and blues dancing. It was such a rush to see people dance to our music. They really seemed to dig it. We had a great stage and a big crowd. I was playing and dancing and having a ball. It really doesn't get much better than that.

Montecillo Reserva 1998

2005-10-06T20:17:00.000-07:00

If you like big, fruity robust wine. Spainish is the way to go. This is one of my favorites. Granted big wines need age. Montecillo is great with a steak or perfectly drinkable by itself. I found it for under $20. You'll find most of the wines on this site are inexpective. Best advice when serving would be to let it breath for a while, a good half hour. I usually have a glass or two the first day and then let it sit out corked for a night. The next day it's usually even better than the first.

Meursault Santenots 1998

2005-10-04T21:02:00.000-07:00

This is a wonderful wine. Highly recommendable. If you can find a bottle, definitely buy it. It's a marvelous white Burgundy perfectly balanced and incredibly tastey. Even if you only drink red, this is a must try.