Saturday, May 7, 2011

Lots of Wine on a Saturday Night (New Zealand / Australia / Ontario)

On a night where 7 bottles were opened I am surprised we did not visit more countries in the process ... but looking at the list now I see we only went to three places on the world wine map. 

Two wines from Ontario kicked us off: 2009 Cattail Creek Riesling and a 2009 Between the Lines Riesling - both wines I have review in the past and are linked.  A third Ontario was opened, but it was a bubbly that was never meant to be a bubbly - a Gewurztraminer that was refermenting in the bottle - ick.  I can not forget the third Ontario wine that was the intermezzo to accompany the split pea soup:  Five Rows 2009 Sauvignon Blanc.  The dinner main was salmon and there are two wines that scream for salmon (or so I am told) Chardonnay and Pinot Noir ... well we visited New Zealand for both of them: a 2006 Two Paddocks Pinot, which I thought was amazing and delicious; and a Te Kairanga 2004 Pinot that had a plug of wine diamonds at cork level - even a knife poked through them didn't release them all and the wine ended up being filter through the ring left behind ... I thought it gave the wine a bit of a bitterish taste (not sure if you have ever tried those crystals that form on some corks and in some bottles but they can be quite bitter ... harmless but bitter.  Finally, it was time for something with some balls and power - you can always trust me to bring a wine that will not match with dinner just for a lark ... I heard salmon and my mind immediately went to Australian Cabernet Merlot, a 2005 Raw by Kingston Estate.  All in all - except for the re-fermenting Gewurzt, a great night of wine - and the food was incredible too.

1 comment:

wino-fred said...

Once I removed the plug and let it settle to the bottom and ran the wine through a filter, it wasn't as bitter. Would have been a stunning wine except for that plug!