Reviews

An evening at Fogo de Chao, Scottsdale

I was first introduced to the Brazilian steakhouse concept at Fogo de Chao in San Antonio a number of years back and was excited when I first learned that Scottsdale was getting a Fogo de Chao.

If you’re not familiar with the concept here’s how it works:  You pay a flat fee for your meal and head over to the “Market Table” (salad bar) to get a plate.  You load up your plate with salad, vegetables, deli meats and artisanal cheeses.  Then you head back to your table for “some” steak.

On your table you’ll notice a disc.  One side is red and one side is green.  If this disc has the green side facing up, the servers will continue to bring and offer you steak.  When you need a break, simply flip the disc over to show the red side.

The servers bring a lot of different meats, from lamb to chicken to sausage.  Also, prime rib, rib eye, top sirloin, filet mignon among others.  You can ask for rare, medium rare, medium or more well done and the server will carve a piece of meat off of for you right there.

I’ve been to steakhouses all over the United States and world since starting The Weekly Wine Journal, and each of them has a unique charm.  For Fogo de Chao the magic is really in attempting to eat as much as possible.  Not to say this isn’t a classy joint, but inevitably what you’ll find when a place tells you the food is all you can eat is that you will eat as much as you can.  Save room for dessert though!

As far as the steak, it’s decent.  Obviously it’s not St, Elmo’s in Indianapolis or Primehouse in Chicago, but definitely worth the price.  Another thing to consider is to look up the specials online before your visit.  They often have restaurant week deals, or specials on wine.  While I was there the wine special was 50% off any South American wine priced under $100 a bottle.  A great deal!

Enjoy these pics of the food!

Vilarnau Brut Reserva D.O. Cava

Vilarnau Brut Reserva D.O. Cava

vilarnau-cava-bottle

Vilarnau Brut Reserva Cava

What is Cava??  Quick answer: Sparkling wine using the Champagne method, using Macabeo, Parellada and Xarell lo grapes mostly from the Catalonia region of Spain.

You might have heard of Freixenet, it’s along the same general lines.  However, Vilarnau is significantly less expensive.  At about $10 a bottle it’s roughly half the price.

But cheap isn’t what most of us are after right?  That is correct.  We want great tasting wines that don’t embarrass us when we serve to guests right?  Check.

This past weekend I shared this review sample with dinner guests.  We started out the night with this wine and ended it with USDA Prime Angus NY Strip and some Napa Cabernet.  However, I digress…

The wine was a hit.  Small bubbles give the wine a nice tart prick to the tongue, there is a little residual sugar to smooth it over.  Think of ripe green apple, dry yet fruity.  The alcohol is light at 11.5%, no hint of alcoholic heat, nice well rounded wine

Nice work on the bottle artwork as well, should be easy to find and also makes a great conversation starter.  To which you can contribute a few of these facts:

Varietal:  50% Macabeo, 35% Parellada and 15% Xarel.lo

The wine is aged 15 months in the bottle, in an underground cellar at 15 degrees celsuis.

Cava is plural for Caves.

 

Enjoy!

Weeklywinejournal rating 87 points

Wine Review | Apothic Inferno 2014

Apothic inferno label

Apothic Inferno, 2014 California

So, I’ve seen the Apothic label in various wine departments over the years, but never purchased the wine.  The label is unmistakeable, a great bit of branding.  But having spent my early 20’s drinking Australian wines with groovy animal labels, I was shy to repeat the mistake.

Then a review sample from Apothic arrived at my doorstep.   I didn’t immediately open it.  Instead I let it sit on the counter for a week, brooding.  Finally, I popped the cork.

To review I chilled the wine to 55F.  Then I decanted and allowed the wine to warm up to 75F over the course of 3 hours, while sampling along the way.

The first thing I noticed is the aroma.  As I passed by my decanter and glass of wine, the powerful aroma of high alcohol wine hit my nostrils, stopped me in my tracks.  The wine is an alcoholic monster at 15.9% no doubt.  The searing heat of the alcohol is predominant, along with the telltale sweetness.   The fruit is ripe and the not terribly complex.  I know what you’re thinking “wow this wine sounds terrible”.  It’s not.  You just have to put it in the context it will thrive in.

And here’s that context.  You need a big bold fruit forward wine that people who generally say they like wine will enjoy at a party. You also don’t want to spend more than $20 a bottle.  Inferno retails for about $12-$15 a bottle.  For wine snobs, this would not be such an enjoyable wine, but then again, wine snobs might not be enjoyable guests…haha right??

Wine is meant to be enjoyed, with friends, with food.  The overall picture is what matters.  This is a good general purpose wine, that doesn’t break the bank.

 

WeeklyWineJournal rating: 88 points

 

Review | Justin 2014 Sauvignon Blanc, Central Coast

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Justin 2014 Sauvignon Blanc, Central Coast

I’m a big fan of Justin’s Isosceles as well as their other cabernets, and so as I was strolling through the wine section at Costco over the weekend, this bottle caught my attention.  The label really helps showcase the beautiful golden yellow color of the wine.  But the next thing I noticed is the price:  $10.99  This was just what I was looking for.  Heading over to some friends for a barbeque, we’re having chicken and vegetable kebabs.

So while the final preparations were being made to the food I was treated to some homemade salsa.  The host was a bit upset that she didn’t have lemon to put in the salsa, the final ingredient.  That’s where this wine really knocked it out of the park for me.  With loads of lemon and grapefruit, it paired beautifully with the juicy, and lemon-less salsa.  As the wine warmed up a chamomile like aroma revealed itself, and later on the palate some nice green apple notes.

My only regret with this wine is that I didn’t come across it at the beginning of summer!

Kudos | 2014 Pinot Gris | 2013 Pinot Noir

Kudos Wine

Kudos | 2014 Pinot Grils | 2013 Pinot Noir

 

Kudos is made by NW Wine company out of Dundee Oregon.  According to the NW Wine Co. website they are “the only custom wine growing facility that specializes in all aspects of the wine making process, from vineyard to bottle.”  Founded in 2003 by Laurent Montalieu, Danielle Andrus-Montalieu, and John Niemeyer, their goal was to provide quality right from day one.  They work with vineyards as small as 1 acre and have wines in over 30 markets across the U.S.  In addition, they purchased the 120 acre Hyland vineyard in 2007.  So how’s the wine?

Kudos, 2014 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, Oregon

Kudos Wine-2

I don’t know why I wasn’t expecting much from this wine, but I wasn’t.  And then I was pleasantly surprised!  The nose is pretty, with a little lemon, and peach intermingled with a floral component.  The palate is where this wine really shines.  Solid citrus in the vein of lemon and lime, with a slightly ripe back-end, just enough to soften the wine and make it really approachable.  This wine is an ideal wine for summer, pre bbq drinks, or lay out by the pool.  Really, it’s quite versatile.  The alcohol weighs in at 13.1% and 5,500 cases were produced, so there should be some nearby if you look hard enough. This wine retails for about $10-$15 a bottle.  Weekly Wine Journal rating: 91 points

 

Kudos, 2013 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, OregonKudos Wine-3

After being pleasantly surprised by the Pinot Gris, I was ready for this wine.  This is a solid effort, not the most complex wine, but again at $12-$15 retail this is a hell of a deal for Pinot Noir.  Nice acidity and tannins, like cherries and tea (no milk).  There’s a hint of clove and vanilla on the back end which is quite nice too.  Alcohol weighs in at 13.1% and 9,000 cases were produced, so there’s an even greater chance that this wine might be available in your area.

Weekly Wine Journal Rating: 87 points

Coming soon… Kudos Chardonnay (only 700 cases made) and Kudos Reserve Pinot Noir

*disclaimer: Wines samples provided by the winery for review

 

 

 

Review | Ponzi Vineyards 2014 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley

If you’re not familiar with the wines of Oregon you might think that this is some back country little mom and pop winery – it’s not.  Although founded by mom and pop, they’re one of America’s leading Pinot Noir producers. They are world class.  Ponzi Vineyards was founded in 1970 and released its first vintage of Pinot Noir in 1974 and in 1978 they planted Pinot Gris. Starting in the mid 1980’s Robert Parker (Wine Advocate) and other critics began to take notice.  In 1985 Parker wrote that Ponzi’s Pinot Noir was comparable to the world’s great Burgundies and in 1987 Ponzi made the Wine Spectator’s top 100 list for the first time.  And most recently the February issue of Wine Enthusiast gave Ponzi’s Chardonnay 96 points. Over the years the family has purchased more and more land and in 2008 they built a 30,000 square foot state of the art gravity fed winery. Sisters – Luisa and Maria are the 2nd generation of Ponzi’s at the helm and have been running the business for the last 20 years.  Ponzi vineyards currently have 129 acres under vine on 4 different vineyards.

I will admit right here that I was not as familiar with Ponzi or even the wines of Oregon before trying this wine.  I had no idea what to expect, other than it’s a Pinot Gris, which is supposedly pretty much American Pinot Griggio.  I was wrong!  This wine has a wonderful floral nose but the palate is where it really shines.  Tropical fruit with a heavy dose of citrus, but extremely clean and focused if that makes sense.  The suggested retail on this wine is only $17, I think it’s a fantastic deal.  I’m thinking they could easily charge $25-$35+ for this wine.

Wine Geek Details:  Alcohol – 13.2%  pH is 4.2  Residual sugar is 5.7g/L.  Production 17,000 cases

Oregon’s weather is typically much cooler than their neighbors to the south – California.  Typically, the cool weather produces wines with more acidity.  Oregon is very well known for it’s cool climate wines such as Pinot Noir.  But 2014 was a very different year for Oregon.  2014 was one of the warmest on record, but not because of the daytime high temps…it was because of the overnight lows were much higher than normal.  According to Ponzi this  “accelerated ripening despite large crop loads and harvest began at the very beginning of September.”   Basically it means they had a killer year, and this wine will have some elements of warmer climate Pinot Gris, while still maintaining the cooler climate characteristics.  I’m thinking this wine is going to be integral to my 2015 summer activities.

Weekly Wine Journal rating 92 points

*wine provided by Ponzi for review

Review | Faust 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

faust wine 2012The Faust wine label is often (and incorrectly) thought of as Quintessa’s second wine, or Quintessa jr.  Although Faust is made at and aged at Quintessa by the same wine maker, Charles Thomas – the fruit is different.  Quintessa is a pure expression of a single estate vineyard in Rutherford.  Faust is sourced primarily from it’s own 110 acre vineyard in the  Coombsville AVA.  Although there is enough fruit from Rutherford, Atlas Peak, Mount Veeder and the Oak Knoll District to be designated “Napa Valley”.

So now that we’ve got that clarification out of the way…hows the wine?  Before I get to that here’s a little more on the production:  The 2012 season in Napa was pretty much ideal according to many.  There was a long harvest season without any major rains during harvest.  This wine underwent “Extensive selective picking” according to the folks at Faust.  Why do they do this?  Optimal grapes usually means optimal wine.  “These grapes were hand picked, double sorted and crushed, then cold soaked and fermented in both French oak and stainless steel tanks.  After extended maceration and malolactic fermentation, the wine was aged for 19 months in 100% french oak, with 30% of the oak being new.” – from the Faust sell sheet.  I’ve read a few sell sheets writing this website for the last 6 years, and I really like that simple succinct description.

The Facts:  80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. 14.% Alc  $50 retail

This wine is intense.  If you like big bold Cabernets that pair well with a big juicy Rib Eye steak this is the wine for you.  Although there are subtle elements to the wine, it is predominantly a powerhouse.  Red plum, black cherry, cassis, cocoa.  Also espresso and an almost cedar like forest like element.  The tasting notes say sandalwood, which I can see as well.  Although the wine can be enjoyed now, it should benefit from a little more time in the bottle, and or some decanting.

Weekly Wine Journal rating 90 points

*wine provided for review

Review | Cameron Hughes Lot 515
Cameron Hughes Lot 515 wine bottle

Cameron Hughes Lot 515

Cameron Hughes Lot 515 | 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon

This wine hails from Monte Rosso vineyard in Sonoma Valley A.V.A. which is located in Sonoma County A.V.A.  Searching around on the internet you won’t find much on Monte Rosso vineyard like a company website and social media accounts.  But you will find that a lot of other producers source their fruit from this vineyard.  According to Hughes “Monte Rosso has perhaps been the greatest source for Cabernet in Sonoma County.”  That’s a pretty bold statement.  Let’s take a look at some of the other producers sourcing fruit from the vineyard: Louis Martini – Monte Rosso Cabernet. 92 points Robert Parker $85 (2010). Arrowood – Monte Rosso Cabernet. 93 points Wine Advocate and $80 (2009)

That’s impressive.  And then there’s Cameron Hughes.  This wine retails for $32 on his website, with a total production of just 500 cases.  Lot 515 is a blend of 95% Cabernet, 3% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot and weighs in at a whopping 15.4% alcohol.

The wine is dense and dark and so packed with fruit that over the course of the 3 nights I sampled this wine, the only time I noticed heat was on the last few sips, and even that wasn’t all that unpleasant.  There are some nice mineral notes interlaced in with the predominately blackberry and licorice palate.

The nice thing about this wine is that although it may get better with age, it is really very much a drink now kind of wine.  You won’t be committing wine infanticide by drinking this wine withing the next few years.  Especially if you’ve been used to Cabernets from Napa.  I’m a huge fan of Napa cabs, but Lot 515 is definitely a wine I can appreciate.

Weekly Wine Journal rating 93 points

*wine purchased with my own hard earned $$.

 

 

Review | Cameron Hughes Lot 555

Cameron Hughes Lot 555

Cameron Hughes Lot 555 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

According to Cameron Hughes ( aka “Cam”) this wine was actually the biggest release of 2014 for the wine negociant.  By biggest he does not mean most cases produced.  Only 1,000 cases of Lot 555 were made, what he means is big, as in a BIG wine sourced from one of the top producers in Napa.  The wine was sourced from ” a fantastic estate in Rutherford deeply rooted in classical traditions and family winemaking heritage. Its vineyards are certainly amongst Napa’s finest, and definitely in the discussion for the top 10.” According to Chwine.com.  Interesting, the label says Napa Valley, which tells me that either there was something in the Non Disclosure Agreement with the producer and or the base wine was back blended with other A.V.A.’s to the point that it could longer be considered a pure “Rutherford District”.

The first thing I noticed after opening the bottle is the cork.  I’m not sure if all of Cameron’s wines have switched to the plastic/rubber cork, but I was certainly surprised to see it.  Maybe I’m a full blown wine snob, but for some reason the synthetic cork really rubbed me the wrong way.  This wine retails for $29 and comes from one of the top 10 vineyards in Napa, I thought there was a bit of a disconnect with the “cheap” enclosure.  Maybe I just need to get over it, like I did the screw cap bottles, eventually.

The next thing I noticed is the wine is good.  It’s great.  Classic Napa Valley floor nose and palate.  Rich bold, powerful, notes of plum and blackcurrant intermixed with tart raspberry.  Fine “dusty” tannins and espresso round out the finish.   Right now the wine is very young.  The wine is astringent and mouth puckering at this point even after 24 hours of decanting.  This is definitely a buy and hold wine for the short term to medium term.  I bought 6 bottles of this wine and I’ll revisit Lot 555 in about a year from now at the end of 2015 to see how it’s coming along.  If it plays out like most of Cams other “big” wines, I’ll be wishing I had bought more.  Unfortunately, storage has become a problem for me and without a significant investment in temperature controlled storage, I’m going to have to hold off on adding more to my collection for the time being.

ChWine.com/555

Weekly Wine Journal | Best of 2014 List

Weekly Wine Journal best of 2014

2014 was another great year for The Weekly Wine Journal.  Traveled to Napa for the Taste of Howell Mountain again this year.  Also attended the Arizona Wine Grower’s Association Festival on the Farm at South Mountain.  Dined at a lot of nice restaurants with great wine lists and also met a lot of wonderful people in the wine industry.  It was very difficult to choose the best of the best, but after much consideration, here it is, the list

Best Red Wine

TIE:   CHATEAU NENIN 2005, POMEROL  / ALTAMURA 2007 CABERNET SAUVIGNON, NAPA VALLEY

This year for the first time there is a tie.  Both of these wines were exceptional.  Beyond exceptional, truly great.  And for completely different reasons.  If you can find either of these wines prepare to have your mind blown.

Best White Wine

PAUL DOLAN 2013 SAUVIGNON BLANC POTTER VALLEY, MENDOCINO COUNTY

This is an interesting one.  Paul Dolan underwent some big changes recently, but the quality still remained.  This wine shows that California can produce Sauvignon Blanc that people who don’t like Californian Sauvignon Blancs might like!

Best Wine Restaurant

EDDIE V’S PRIME SEAFOOD & STEAK, SCOTTSDALE ARIZONA

This restaurant has an extensive wine list, with a good range of wines from affordable to “Hey let’s buy a few $3000 bottles of wine!”  Known for their seafood, it turns out their NY Strip and Rib Eye are easily the best I have ever tasted.  And that’s saying something considering how much steak I eat.

Best Wine Tasting

TASTE OF HOWELL MOUNTAIN, ST HELENA, CALIFORNIA

Year after year The Taste of Howell Mountain wins best wine tasting.  There is just simply not a better collection of high end wines for such an affordable price, AND a friendly laid back atmosphere

Best Winery Experience

RED CAP VINEYARDS, ANGWIN, CALIFORNIA

Red Cap Vineyards does not have a tasting room and is not open to the public.  I was invited there as a friend and guest and really had a blast hanging out with husband & wife owners Tom & Desire Altemus.  Also present was social media/marketing manager Michael.  I spent the afternoon sipping wine chatting listening to stories, telling stories and getting ridiculous with some Grappa made by Rebekah Wineburg.