The Iron Chevsky Wine Blog

Most know Chardonnay. Of all major wine grapes, it is the most capable in delivering stunning results from across a wide range of climates. From the cold Chablis in northern France to temperate Cote d’Or in Central France to warmer climate in Sonoma to the heat of Napa. Ever since the Judgment of Paris in 1976, when Napa Valley’s own Chateau Montelena’s Chardonnay reigned supreme in a blind tasting against France’s crème de la crème, California Chardonnay has enjoyed blockbuster status in the United States, and has spurred planting and popularity across the new world. A recent Hollywood flick Bottle Shock helped distill (or dilute?) the momentous Judgment of Paris story for the masses rekindling the American Chardonnay pride at least in some. For years after 1976, the debate about the Judgment of Paris continued, and occasionally small groups of devoted wine lovers have conducted a sanity check. I have documented one such event – the Judgment at Ross Bott - recently run by the R

...continued from Episode 4 . If you are new to this series, start here . This is an awesome Japanese Manga -drama about wine. Laugh, cry, enjoy as you watch Kami no Shizuku ("Drops of God"). Episode 5 Part 1: Part 2: Part 3: Part 4: Episode 6 is available here .

From the Martine's Wines brochure, by Martine Saunier: Thirty years ago, in the midst of starting Martine's Wines, the economic situation was not very different than it is today. I remember the anticipation of waiting for my first container full of wine from France...The first container, which included allocations from Chateau Rayas, Francois Jobard, Henri Jayer, Fernand and Kiki Coffinet, August Morey (nicknamed Pappy, father of Pierre, who was taking care of the vineyards of Comte Lafon), finally arrived on July 4th, 1979, Independence Day. Since that time, Martine's Wines has survived two recessions and September 11th. I never thought that I would celebrate my 30th anniversary in the present economic turmoil. However, I still have confidence that I can sail through this new storm along with my new generation of producers. Denis Mortet would be proud of his son Arnaud; Henri Jayer and Jacques Reynaud of their nephews, both named Emmanuel. This is my 7th Grand Tasting, an

In a recent Vinography post entitled "Eric Asimov and the Tyranny of the Tasting Note in American Wine Culture" , author Alder Yarrow summarized Eric Asimov's position on (against) wine tasting notes presented at the fifth annual Symposium for Professional Wine Writers in February 2009. Alder quoted Eric: "Tasting notes. Millions of them. To the point that some critics and writers seem to do only one thing: generate more tasting notes. Which has led to a wine loving public that unduly focuses on two things: numeric scores and increasingly specific strings of adjectives that aim to describe every last hint of flavor and aroma in the glass. Describing wine with with such adjectives, Eric suggested, is the equivalent of describing a concert using decibels and frequencies. This almost clinical approach to wine criticism, according to Eric, is killing our budding wine culture. The general public sees these chains of amazing and obscure descriptors for wine and they feel l

It is Thursday, March 5, 2009. Six Chiantis, two Brunello di Montalcino's. All from the great 1990 vintage in Italy. Unusually full Ross Bott gathering, not enough space at the tables, spilling over to the couch. Guess people are into Italian... Certainly me, lately . Same grape (Sangiovese), same vintage ('90), same region (Tuscany). Can the crowd of 20 tell Brunellos from the Chiantis? From the mailer by Ross Bott, the organizer: The 1990 vintage was a spectacular one in Tuscany, one of the best of the twentieth century. The summer was very hot, and the harvest began in the first week of September, one of the earliest on record. Yields were low, and the grapes were small and very concentrated. Wine Spectator's description of the Brunellos and Chiantis of this vintage was "Super structure; powerful and ripe yet balanced" and ranked it 98/100, their highest rating for any Tuscan vintage since they started their reviews. Tonight we'll try six Chianti Riserv

From the Gambero Rosso brochure: The prestigious Tre Bichieri or "three glasses" award is a coveted honor and a robust endorsement that is published annually in Italian Wines (Vini d'Italia), produced by Gambero Rosso and Slow Food. Surveying over 20,000 Italian wines, grading each on a scale from one to three glasses, or bicchieri, the guide is designed to provide readers with both an understanding of the history and development of producers and their wines. The guide has helped to identify new Italian wines and wineries and introduce them to enthusiasts around the world. Each year independent local panels collect more than 70,000 bottles from across Italy that are sampled by nearly 30 tasting groups, each composed of five judges. More than 10,000 are rejected outright, while the remaining wines are awarded one or two bicchieri. Then the 1,500 of the top-ranking wines move on to the Tre Bicchieri taste-offs. The final commitee of judges is composed of seventeen experts,

March 3, 2009. Fort Mason, San Francisco. Firehouse building. 12 noon. Angeles Wine Agency (AWA) tasting. The place is packed with local "who's who" in the industry. Elbowing your way to the Chateauneuf table, glass in hand, notebook in the other, spit cup on top of the notebook, brief hellos to familiar faces. 60 wines to go. Do or die, I shall not quit until all have crossed my tongue, pen dipped in vino, scribbling notation on a stained sheet. All in a day's work. Can one still tell anything reliably after having tasted 50 similar reds in the course of 1 hour? I hope so! 3 broad regions were represented: White Burgundy (only 3 wines), Northern Rhone (about a dozen), Southern Rhone & Provence, with the Southern Rhone being the star of the show and having by far the largest coverage. The much hyped 2007 vintage in Chateauneuf-du-Pape (by Robert Parker) was here to prove its chops. It did not disappoint, nor did it blow me away. Very good wines, but frankly Southe

Those who read this blog know how much I enjoy the pairing of spicy Sichuan cuisine and Riesling. While some perhaps find it typical, and even boring(!!!) and take it for granted as they explore more adventurous combinations, last night once again reminded me of what deliciousness is all about - when you join authentic Asian cooking with a high-quality German Riesling. I am not a German nor a Chinese, yet every time I lean on those pair of friends, it feels like home. If anyone is still not doing this, DO they MUST! Wine: 2004 Dönnhoff Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Nahe. Cost: $20. Food: Mapo Tofu (silky tofu, ground pork, chili and bean sauce, scallions, fresh roasted sichuan peppercorns) and Spicy Tomato Fish (basa fish fillet, Chinese cooking wine, ginger, tomato, roasted chili peppers, sichuan peppercorns). Cost: $10. Pairing: Priceless. Though I had a number of Riesling disappointments in the recent past , this time the wine was excellent. At only 9% alcohol, the two of us fini