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Bubbles
Presto Prosecco
From the winemaker: “Light straw in color with bright yellow highlights, it offers aromas of peach blossom, apple and pear and has a fruity bouquet with a hint of apple and minerality. Delicate notes of peach and pear with a fine perlage.”
From me: It’s a classic aperitif sparkler made from well-sourced glera fruit grown in the Veneto. No further analysis needed. Drink and enjoy!
$13.99 at Whole Foods
Stella Rosa Prosecco DOC Treviso
From the winemaker: “Flavors of bosc pear, yellow apple and lemon. Pairs well with fruit tarts, pies and brunch.”
From me: Like the Presto, it’s a wine to be enjoyed and not overthought even on cold, gray winter days. However, do note that these bubbles, made from Treviso-grown fruit, earned a 95-point score, a gold medal and Best-of-Class honors at the Los Angeles International Wine Competition.
$14.49 at Spec’s
White
2022 Stout Family Granny Rae Sauvignon Blanc
From the winemaker: “Rich Floral aromas of passion fruit surrounded by citrus lime and grapefruit zest and a slight nutty undertones. Youthful hints of citrus elements combining with neutral French oak aging, created this round and delicious wine with a slightly tart finish. Crisp, dry and clean.”
From me: When I first started writing about wine for the Houston Chronicle, I made it a point to meet Guy Stout, who had recently earned his Master Sommelier lapel pin. We’ve been buddies ever since, but that doesn’t color my opinion about his excellent wines, made in partnership since the 2013 vintage with Napa Valley icon Tom Rinaldi. This is a world-class savignon blanc, truly one of the best I’ve ever tasted, that’s offered at a most affordable price. Kudos to Stout’s Napa Valley-based son Ian for keeping his hands on the reins out there.
$28 at http://aocselections.com
2019 Diatom Bar-M Chardonnay
From the winemaker: “Like a pent-up wave just about to break, rich and luxurious fruit is harnessed in by bracing acidity and precision. Lemon, citrus blossom, and wet sand on the nose. Precise and balanced textures. Impeccably clean, focused and transportive to the maritime landscape from which the wine emerges. Saline, white peach flavors.”
From Jeb Dunnuck, who scored it a 93: “A rich, medium to full-bodied chardonnay with a killer texture, nicely integrated acidity and a great finish. It gives up a juicy, vibrant nose of tart pineapple, citrus, and honeyed flowers. Pairing wonderfully fresh, complex aromatics with plenty of oomph and richness on the palate, this beautiful chardonnay is ideal for drinking over the coming four to five years.”
From me: Made with grapes sourced from 20-plus-year-old vineyards in Santa Barbara County’s under-appreciated Los Alamos region, where the sandy loam soils give the fruit more flesh and weight, it’s surprises the palate, being neither predictably Burgundian nor Californian in flavor. Winemaker Greg Brewer always thinks outside the box.
$22.99 at Kroger (West Gray)
Pink
Espiral Vinho Rosé
From the winemaker: “Fresh aromas of pineapple and strawberry leads to a palate rich with acidity, peaches and citrus fruit.”
From the Reverse Wine Snob, which scored a 6 of a 10-point scale but a 10 for value: “Opens with aromas of strawberry and watermelon jello, some citrus notes and fruit punch. It’s sweet but not overwhelmingly so. The fruit turns a bit more tart when tasting along with continued citrus notes, strawberry and watermelon. It finishes a bit short, but it would certainly be refreshing on a hot day.”
From me: Or a cold one, which we’ve had a few of lately. It’s a non-vintage pink wine that’s shockingly good at this price point. You’d think the bottle alone would cost this much, never mind the shipping charges.
$4.99 at Trader Joe’s
Red
2018 Marchesi di Barolo
From the winemaker: “Garnet-red color with ruby highlights. Intense perfume with clean scents of ripe fruit, dog roses, tobacco and spices. Full, elegant and austere flavor with a good body and lingering hints of the olfactory sensations.”
From Decanter, which scored it a 94: “Density of fruit in the mouth with sweet red berries, dried herbs and earthy notes. Stunning intensity. Broad and suave, it has weighty concentrated fruit without excessive extraction with dusty texture to the finish.”
From me: Don’t just take my word for it. This was the 2024 Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo’s grand-champion red wine. I was delighted to hear the news because I’ve gotten to know the Abbona family, whose roots in Barolo date to the early 19th century. They’re super people with a super lineup of wines. And what a superb price for a Barolo. Thank you, Spec’s!
$49.97 at Spec’s
2020 Domaine du Cayron Gigondas
From the winemaker: “Rich and hearty mouthfeel with notes of red fruits and aromatic herbs (basil and laurel). A mineral-rich and elegant wine associated with notes of truffles and flowers showing a gorgeously long finish.”
From Vinous, which scored it a 96: “Dark magenta. Vibrant cherry, raspberry and lavender aromas show excellent clarity and a spicy white pepper hint. Sweet and penetrating on the palate, it displays expansive red fruit and spice cake flavors with a subtle touch of candied licorice. Closes sappy and impressively long, with resonating floral and red fruit notes and gentle tannins that build slowly.”
From me: A classic blend of grenache (78 percent) and syrah (14 percent) plus cinsault and mourvèdre, this is Michel Faraud’s only wine. His vineyard plots are scattered throughout the Gigondas appellation, but the most prized fruit comes from the Col du Cayron, which is 1,500 feet above sea level in the Dentelles that rise behind the village. He ages the juice for a couple of years in giant old oak foudres. No new oak for him!
$43.59 at Spec’s
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- Blog on a more regular basis, dropping at least three per month.
- Well, at least two.
- Make it back to Napa and Sonoma, and the Texas Hill Country. Especially the Hill Country. It’s close and there’s a lot of good folks in the trenches fighting the good fight in the face of drought everywhere, and Dicamba in the High Plains.
- Resume doing group blind tastings. There’s no better way to judge wine and I love the personal interaction.
- Become even more of a regular at Porta’Vino. Superb food and great value — still no entrees over $29 — and BYOB, although Bill Floyd’s small, splendidly curated wine list beats every place in town hands-down price-wise.
- Call bullshit more often on ridiculous wine-pricing markups. Except I rarely frequent the ripoff artists, and we have plenty, unless I’m invited.
- Find a way to schedule more tastings at the Alliance Francaise in our nicely redone — or at least repainted — salon. The late, great Bear Dalton made the Alliance an important gathering place for local oenophiles and we sorely miss him. (I say we because I’m the president of the board of directors.)
- Broaden my wine-drinking horizons although my doctor would probably recommend doing the opposite. But, as Willie Nelson is wont to remind us, “There are more drunks than there are old doctors so, brother, let’s have another round.” Hey, Willie just turned 90. I’ll have what he’s having . . . except the stuff that has to be smoked. All in gummies, however. The wines pictured above? I’ve never tasted any of them, but that’s going to change over the next few days, er weeks.
- Expend more energy badgering producers to go to screwcaps. For 99 percent of the wine produced annually, they makes way more sense.
- Dig even deeper than I already have into Italy’s Piemonte, my favorite wine region on the planet. Especially the new Nizza DOCG, where the once lowly barbera is attaining Grand Cru status. I’m excited about leading a http://gourmettours.biz trek through that beautiful region in late May/early June. Still have two spots open, folks!
The Sports Page
Raising a glass to . . . the Texans
Whether or not they make the playoffs, and it all comes down to their game against the Colts in Indianapolis Saturday, this season has been a stunning success. C. J. Stroud is having one of the finest rookie seasons ever for an NFL quarterback despite playing behind an injury-decimated offensive line, and Will Anderson Jr. has already broken J. J. Watt’s franchise rookie record for sacks. (Right, blasphemy!) There’s no question that DeMeco Ryans deserves serious consideration for coach-of-the-year honors. And it couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of guys, starting with DeMeco himself. I loved conversing with him as a player back in the day.
H-Town happenings
Tastings Every Saturday at French Country Wines: Noon-5 p.m. Free. http://frenchcountrywines.com
Tastings Every Wednesday at Montrose Cheese & Wine: 5-7 p.m. Free. http://montrosecheeseandwine.com
Tastings Every Thursday at Cueva in the Marriott Marquis Houston: 6:30-7:30 p.m. $40 http://eventbrite.com
Symposium Saturdays: 4-5 p.m. at Stella’s Wine Bar in the Post Oak Hotel. $75. http://eventbrite.com
Truly Greek, Truly Unique wine tasting: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18. at JMP Wine Tasting Room http://eventbrite.com
Texas Wine Market: Noon-4 p.m. Jan. 24. Bluebonnet Tasting Room, 401 Commerce St., Tomball, $30 presale, $40 at the door. https://checkout.square.site/merchant/MLF89X8DCFFR0/checkout/SSO7TMRRWB7F5JCKE44MGPDX
Red wines from our cellar pairing dinner: 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 8, at Atkins House. http://eventbrite.com
Follow me
Instagram: http://@sportywineguy
Facebook: Dale Robertson
Podcast: Sporty Wine Guy, wherever you get your podcasts. A new one, hosted by Jeremy Parzen (yep, that’s us pictured above, sharing a bottle of Marchesi di Grésy Barbaresco in the Piemonte), will be dropping over the weekend. You can follow Parzen’s own blog at http://dobianchi.com. (Huge kudos to Jeremy and his wife Tracy for continuing to fight the good fight against a heinous neo-Confederate “monument” marring the landscape in her home town of Orange.)
Friends of mine to follow
Sandra Crittenden: http://winelifehousthon.com
Russ Kane: http://vintagetexas.com
Jeffrey Kralik: http://drunkencyclist.com
Katrina Rene: http://thecorkscrewconcierge.com
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Updated 12-30
I’m closing out what has been a wonderful 12 months of swirling and sipping on two continents with a typically eclectic array of wines, three of which hail from Texas and all of which I have enjoyed recently. And I’m especially happy to report that, with New Year’s Eve less than a week away, my four sparklers can all be found on shelves locally.
Here’s wishing everyone a splendid 2024. Cheers!
Bubbles
Frerejean Freres Grande Réserve
From the winemaker: “Our signature wine is a blend of chardonnay and pinot noir aged for a minimum of five years, producing an elegant Champagne that embodies the richness of the Frerejean Frères terroir. Low brut dosage and late disgorgement mean that it’s both balanced and generous.”
From me: Brothers Guillaume, Richard and Rodolphe Frerejean-Taittinger struck out on their own a few years back, leaving the giant Taittinger brand to other members of the iconic Champagne family. They’re boutique growers and producers in every sense of the term, although their intention wasn’t to reject their famous heritage. Their wine satisfies at a savory price.
$59.84 at Spec’s
Madame Zéro Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru
From the winemaker: “All fruit that we grow is from one village, the iconic village of Vertus in the champagne region of France, and derived from 47-year-old vines. We grow beautiful chardonnay, so we focus on singularity and aging four times longer than traditional champagne. We don’t need the added sugars normally found in champagne to achieve balance like many of the large brands. We are the first champagne house to include nutrition facts on the label out of France.”
From me: Healthy bubbles? Hey, count me in. “House” founder Matthew Massey (quoted above by Texas Lifestyles Magazine) may have grown up on Galveston island, but it didn’t take him long to grasp the glories of champagne after he’d made good money working in the energy sector. As a fitness buff, Massey felt compelled to deliver a low-cal sparkler that can run with the big dogs. He succeeded . . . and then took things to an even higher level with his 2013 vintage brut “Mille,” featured below.
$63.64 at Spec’s
2013 Madame Zéro Grande Vintage “Mille”
From the winemaker: “Offers a delightful nose of honeycomb, lemon zest, and white flower. On the palate, this Champagne exhibits exceptional structure with a silky mousse, chalky minerality, and crisp acidity. The deep and elegant character unfolds in layers, showcasing stone fruits such as peach and apricot, accompanied by fresh lemon, white raspberry, and honeysuckle notes that linger on the long, elegant finish. “Mille” promises to evolve beautifully with time, with its crisp acidity and fine structure maturing and flourishing over 10 to 20-plus years of cellaring. True to the progressive and transparent foundation of Madame Zéro, the our vintage sparkler is also ultra-low sugar with less than half a gram per glass, and openly provides nutrition info on the label.”
From me: The hand-picked fruit, 85 percent chardonnay and the rest pinor noir, grew on 45-year-old vines in Vertus. Aged for more than nine years on the lees, the wine is equal parts complex and in-your-face delicious. Why “Mille?” Only 1,000 bottles were made, and 300 of them come in gorgeous gift boxes largely hand-crafted by Massey’s dad. These bubbles check all the boxes at fair price, given the exquisite quality.
$200 at Central Market
Gran Moraine Brut Rosé
From the winemaker: “Aromas of strawberry shortcake, canned pear, white peach, lightly toasted broiche, and rose petals. The palate flirts with tangerine, kumquat, nectarine on the finish with warm watermelon rind and lemon meringue pie. Balanced fatness and acidity on the texture, vibrant and exceptionally clean all the way through to the finish, phenomenally precise.”
From the Wine Spectator, which scored it a 94: “A rare domestic rosé that captures the vibrant acidity of Champagne, offering delicate strawberry, raspberry flavors laced with steely minerality and sprinkle of graham cracker on the finish.”
From me: It’s a classic Champagne blend of estate-grown pinot noir and chardonnay with a bit of pinot meunier too from the Yamhill-Carlton AVA in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Shane Moore, who has been at Gran Moraine since 2013 after working in cellars all over the world, from Western Australia to the Golan Heights. took charge of the winemaking in 2016. He’s known for picking his fruit early, explaining “that’s how I was going to achieve the tension and energy that I was seeking from my wines.”
$52.60 at Spec’s
WHITE
2021 Cormorant Cellars White Blend
From me: Charlie Gilmore blended the certified organic grenache blanc (64 percent) and marsanne from Preston Family Vineyards deep in the Dry Creek Valley, during fermentation to “combine the aromas of the wine early in its life.” Like all of Gilmore’s offerings, fermented primarily in 7-year-old barrels, it was bottled unfined and unfiltered and could easily pass as a fine white Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This is a superb first-vintage effort at every level from a winemaker best known for his sauvignon blancs. And it comes in at only 12.9 percent alcohol, perfect for an apero.
$27 at http://cormorantcellars.com/purchase
2020 Saint Tryphon Clement Sangiovese
From the winemaker: “The wine is supple and fresh, with red plum and dusty cherry lead the charge, and a pleasant floral character and smooth, lively tannins, too. I was aiming for this wine to fall somewhere between a Brunello di Montalcino and a DOCG Chianti. It is broad, but not too big, embracing vivacity over power.”
From me: The quote above from Silouan Branford, Saint Tryphon’s owner-winemaker, was shared by Russ Kane in his http://vintagetexas.com. The “Texas Wineslinger” also shared the wine, bless him. The Brunello clone fruit from Neal Newsom’s High Plains vineyard was subjected to wild fermentation and thrice daily punch-downs. One barrel aged in new French oak.
$45 at http://sainttryphon.com
RED
2018 Rouge Bleu Lunatique
From me: Winemaker Caroline Jones, who hails from Australia, worked only with grenache from Rhone Valley floor vines, most of them growing in Sainte Cecille between Gigondas and Châteauneuf-du-Pape, that were planted in 1910. The “lunatic” reference relates to the fact that the grapes are biodynamically farmed, not to either Jones’ or her French husband Thomas Bertrand’s mental state. The wine is equal parts powerful and elegant.
$53 at French Country Wines
2020 Tenuta Luce LaVite Lucente
From the winemaker: “The nose is rich in black fruits such as blueberries and blackberries, accompanied by a light balsamic and pan brioché note. The palate is soft supported by a nice freshness, with enveloping tannins and a long fruity aftertaste.”
From James Suckling, who scored it a 93: “A rich and flavorful red showing subtle cocoa powder, roasted spices, cassis and sweet berries. Juicy and medium- to full-bodied on the palate with fine tannins and a long, polished finish.”
From me: A beautiful intersection of quality and value, this one. It will pair splendidly with haute cuisine or hamburgers. Interestingly, the winery was initially a visionary collaboration between Vittorio Frescobaldi and Robert Mondavi plus their sons Lamberto and Tim respectively. Lamberto took charge by his lonesome when the Mondavi family pulled out of the partnership in 2005.
$23.99 at http://wine.com
2021 C. L. Butaud Cease & Desist Red Blend
From the winemaker: “For the Cease & Desist wines we have made here in Texas, we start with a base of our flagship tempranillo, tipping our hat to the red blends of Spain from Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Toro, et al. Blended in the past with syrah and mourvèdre, these wines have been voluptuous, showstopper wines, with my artistic focus based more on the hedonistic pleasure of drinking robust and velvety wines.”
From me: Houston native Randy Hester began Ceast & Desist as a California project, with grenache front and center. But that variety struggles in Texas so Hester deftly shifted gears. Note that it comes a very heavy bottle, often a marketing tactic that confers gravitas to wines that lack same. Not in this case, folks.
$48 at http://clbutaud.com
2021 Juggernaut Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
From the winemaker: “Aromatics of cherries, raspberries, ripe strawberries, caramelized brown sugar with an element of earth and subtle black tea leaf. Flavors of plush red fruits, red plum, rich viscosity and lingering vanilla bean and baking spices.”
From me: Juggernaut says its wines “harness the power of nature to produce robust, compelling wines.” Exhibit A would be this pinot, which spent an average of 12 months in both new and used oak. It packs a lot of flavor — vanilla is prominent — without being overly tannic.
$21.99 at http://wine.com
2017 RIVENYATES Kerrville Hills
From me: John Rivenburgh, who purchased Kerrville Hills in 2018, earned a reputation as a tannat savant during his previous tenure at Bending Branch Winery, which he and Dr. Robert Young co-founded in 2009. Ron Yates, in turn, may be Texas’ greatest champion of the tempranillo grape. Being good friends, they pooled their passions, became “co-conspirators” and created this truly unique bright red gem of a Texas High Plains wine. It opens slowly but closes fast.
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Which is to say, in Italian, the whole world is a country, and a small one at that. The last time Jeremy Parzen and I convened for a podcast, I brought up a favorite new wine of mine, the Smith-Madrone Riesling, which you read about in my most recent “Sippin’ with Sporty” blog. Well, as it happens, Julie Ann Kodmur, who is married to Stu Smith — yep, the Smith in Smith-Madrone — grew up in the same La Jolla neighborhood where Parzen’s family lived. In his words, she “was like a big sister to me.” And, he added, “Julie Ann was just enough older than me to be my baby-sitter.”
Damn.
But then last week I received an email from the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo announcing the winners of its International Wine Competition. In a field of 2,985 wines representing 22 countries, Smith-Madrone’s 2018 Riesling had earned Reserve Grand Champion honors.
Damn again.
Full disclosure: Best as I can recall, I’d somehow never crossed paths with a Napa Valley riesling — never mind one that made me say, “Wow!” — before my fortuitous meeting with the Smith-Madrone, which drinks like a great Alsatian or Mosel riesling.
The fruit grows on the vertiginous Spring Mountain above St. Helena, a place I’d always associated with chardonnay because of the historic Stony Hill Winery located nearby. And you can’t get any higher on Spring Mountain than Smith-Madrone, whose vines grow at elevations of 1,200 to 1,900 feet — and above the fog line, as shown above.
Stuart Smith took a hike through the forests up there in 1970. It was love at first sight, and height. In only a year’s time, he had founded his winery and, in 1973, brother Charlie came on board. (The Smiths are pictured here.) The first vintage put in the bottle was 1977. And, in 1996, Stuart and Kodmur were married. A year later, she launched the marketing/consulting firm (http://julieannkodmur.com) that she still runs all by her lonesome.
So who’s Madrone, you ask? It’s neither a he nor a she but rather a tree species that grows prolifically on Spring Mountain.
Kodmur apologizes for not remembering anything wild and crazy about her childhood friendship with Parzen. “We lived two or three blocks apart on Avenida Cresta,” she said. “Our mothers were close friends, so we saw a lot of each other. We’d go down to the tide pools . . . ride bikes . . . just had fun.” Yet, serendipitously and fortuitously, they both ended up in the business of promoting wine despite educational detours. She would earn a Master’s in art history; he a Doctorate in Italian, which he speaks fluently.
Besides, obviously, Smith-Madrone, Kodmur’s clients include Aridus, Castello di Amorosa, BARRA of Mendocino, Notre Vue Estate, Kelly Fleming Winery, Silver Trident Winery, Hawk and Horse Vineyards, Calla Lily Estate, Meyye, Appellation St. Helena, Spring Mountain District Association and, on a pro bono basis, the Sunrise Horse Rescue, Jameson Animal Rescue Ranch, Nimbus Arts and The Cameo Cinema.
I hope to visit the Smiths and Kodmur in Napa before the 2024 Rodeo (February 27-March 17) and further explore their beautiful story. Also, I haven’t been on Spring Mountain since before the disastrous 2020 Glass Fire and I will likely find it a different place than I remember with such fondness. Fortunately, Smith-Madrone suffered no catastrophic infrastructure losses unlike several of their neighbors, but their forests were devastated. And many trees that didn’t burn had to be felled to prevent future catastrophes.
Smith said of his massive logging effort after the conflagration: “It breaks my heart to do this. The area where the timber is coming from was a beautiful Douglas fir forest. Now it’s not. To protect ourselves and the mountain, we need these trees gone.”
His mantra today? “Fire-safe farming.” Brilliant. Like his riesling.
The 2024 Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition champions, determined during a weekend of judging in mid-November, are listed below. To see the medalists, go to http://rodeohouston.com/rodeo-uncorked-wine.
- Grand Champion Best of Show – Beau Joie Brut Champagne AOC, NV
- Reserve Grand Champion Best of Show – 2018 Smith-Madrone Riesling, Spring Mountain District
- Top Texas Wine – 2021 Meierstone Vineyards The Airship Red, Texas High Plains
- Top Red Wine – 2018 Marchesi di Barolo DOCG
- Top White Wine – 2022 Perissos Vineyards and Winery Winemaker’s Reserve Pape Blanc, Texas High Plains
- Top Sparkling Wine – Champagne Telmont Reserve Brut Champagne AOC, NV
- Top Dessert Wine – 2020 Quady Winery Essensia Orange Muscat, California
- Top Region Wine – 2022 TerraNoble CA1 Carmenere Andes, Colchagua Valley DO
- Top Value Wine – 2022 Animus Vinho Verde DOC
- Top Wine Company – E & J Gallo Winery
- Top Region Wine Company – Winebow Imports
- Top All-Around Winery – Nice Winery
- Top Texas Winery – Becker Vineyards
rodeohouston.com/rodeo-uncorked-wine
The Sports Page
Raising a glass to . . . Alphonse Dotson
Russ Kane and our wives recently had a wonderful visit with Dotson, who was in Houston to check on his 105-year-old mother. Fifty years ago next May I met Dotson, who’s 80 himself now, for the first time. The Houston native had come out of retirement to play for the Houston Texans of the World Football League, which I’d been assigned to cover as a 21-year-old soon-to-be newlywed, and we hit it off straight away.
Those Texans didn’t last long — less than a full season in Houston — and I wouldn’t see Alphonse for a long while. But we reconnected years later when I found out he’d become a grape grower and winemaker in Mason County. Chardonnay from his Certenberg Vineyard helped Fall Creek Winery claim Grand Champion White Wine honors in the Rodeo’s 2017 competition. You can read the story I wrote about this remarkable achievement at https://www.houstonchronicle.com/food/article/Champion-rodeo-chardonnay-from-Texas-a-story-of-10981264.php.
Dotson is delighted to report that his mom is still sharp as a tack, and so is he, although he’s dealing with all the physical issues you would expect of an octogenarian ex-football player. Still, he insists he’s a long way from being finished as a winemaker and I believe him.
Check out what he and his lovely wife Martha have going on at http://dotsoncervanteswines.com. You’ll notice a striking similarity between his bottle label and the logo on the Raiders’ helmet. He may have also played for Kansas City, Green Bay and Miami, plus those hapless Texans, but Alphonse will always be a Raider. He loved Al Davis, and one of Davis’ ownership partners, who lived in Rutherford in the Napa Valley, was responsible for getting interested in wine.
I should also mention that Dotson’s son, Santana, was an NFL star in the 1990s and won a Super Bowl ring with the Packers.
H-Town happenings
Tastings Every Saturday at French Country Wines: Noon-5 p.m. Free. http://frenchcountrywines.com
Tastings Every Wednesday at Montrose Cheese & Wine: 5-7 p.m. Free. http://montrosecheeseandwine.com
Tastings Every Thursday at Cueva in the Marriott Marquis Houston: 6:30-7:30 p.m. $40 http://eventbrite.com
Symposium Saturdays: 4-5 p.m. at Stella’s Wine Bar in the Post Oak Hotel. $75. http://eventbrite.com
Sparkling wine tasting: 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15. 2515 Harvard St. Free. http://eventbrite.com
The Rado Wine Club Tasting Experience: 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, at the Rado MKT. $50. http://eventbrite.com
Texas Wine Market: Noon-4 p.m. Jan. 24. Bluebonnet Tasting Room, 401 Commerce St., Tomball, $30 presale, $40 at the door. https://checkout.square.site/merchant/MLF89X8DCFFR0/checkout/SSO7TMRRWB7F5JCKE44MGPDX
Follow me
Instagram: http://@sportywineguy
Facebook: Dale Robertson
Podcast: Sporty Wine Guy, wherever you get your podcasts. A new one, hosted by Jeremy Parzen (yep, that’s us pictured above, sharing a bottle of Marchesi di Grésy Barbaresco in the Piemonte), will be dropping over the weekend. You can follow Parzen’s own blog at http://dobianchi.com.
Friends of mine to follow
Sandra Crittenden: http://winelifehouston.com
Russ Kane: http://vintagetexas.com
Jeffrey Kralik: http://drunkencyclist.com
Katrina Rene: http://thecorkscrewconcierge.com
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An eclectic mix for you today, to say the least . . . Cheers!
BUBBLES
Pizzolato Prosecco Fields Brut
From the winemaker: “Aromas of pear, orange blossom, green apple and nettles. Palate delivers lemon zest, pear, white peach and almond, with crisp acidity, consistent refined perlage and a long finish.”
From me: La Cantina Pizzolato, whose organic vineyards cover 58 hectares in the countryside north of Treviso, is said to produce Italy’s best-selling Italian organic wines. Five generations of Pizzolatos have been in the wine business in the Veneto. It seems they’ve got this wine-making thing down pat.
$18.99 at http://wine.com
WHITE
2017 Chêne Bleu Aliot
From the winemaker: “An attractive golden yellow, bright and clear with lime tints. Rich and complex aromas with notes of toasted vanilla, rich ripe white fruits and a touch of hazelnut and brioche. Lovely rich and fresh primary flavors linger, supported by a natural acidity which extends the finish. The palate mirrors the nose with buttery notes, white fruits and a saline minerality.”
From Jeb Dunnuck, who scored it a 96: “It sports a still-vibrant gold hue as well as an awesome nose of buttered pineapple, white flowers, brioche and marzipan. This carries to a medium-bodied white with beautiful overall balance, a rich, layered mouthfeel, nicely integrated acidity and a gorgeous finish. This stunningly good white will stand up to the best from the Rhône. I’d say it’s fully mature now, but guessing the drinking window on Rhone whites is fraught with peril.”
From me: A classic Southern Rhone blend of roussanne (55 percent) and grenache blanc (38) plus clairette and rolle, it over-delivers even at 50-plus bucks and pairs splendidly with hard-to-pair dishes, even those that are asparagus-centric. No, really.
$55 at http://doubledecanted.com
2021 Cormorant Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Dry Creek Valley
From the winemaker: “I have been making this Sauvignon Blanc since August 2018. The organic Sauvignon Blanc comes from Martorana Family Vineyards in Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County. The wine is fermented in a few drums and a couple of French oak barrels. Stirring the barrels a few times each year enables the wine to build mouthfeel.”
From me: It’s all unfined and unfiltered savignon blanc from Dry Creek’s Martorana Vineyards. And, at 12.7 percent alcohol, feel free to pour yourself a third glass . . . if you’re not driving. Really refreshing, this one.
$24 at http://cormorantcellars.com
2018 Smith-Madrone Riesling
From the winemaker: “Aromatically, the wine opens with Meyer lemons, pomelo, orange flowers, and just a dab of mandarin orange hiding shyly behind a rose bush. This is all backed up with a solid dose of minerality. On the palate the wine is racy and beautifully balanced with a backbone of juicy fruit acidity. Wonderfully stylish and delicious and built to last.”
From James Suckling, who scored it a 92: “This is bright and full of energy with notes of tangerines, sliced pears and spices. Attractive minerality to it with a medium body and round, creamy texture. Bright acidity and a flavorful finish.”
From me: I’m actually sipping this one as a write, and it’s indeed special — fruity and flowery but surprisingly complex with a veneer of Old World elegance despite its Spring Mountain provenance. I don’t drink a lot of riesling, and certainly not from California, but that may have to change thanks to the folks at Smith-Madrone.
$33.99 at http://wine.com
2022 Goosecross Chardonnay Napa Valley
From the winemaker: “The 2022 vintage displays a beautiful bouquet of vibrant summer peaches, golden pear, banana, toasted brioche, and bergamot lemon. There is a burst of freshness and balance on the palate highlighted with bright flavors of green apple, honeydew melon, kiwi fruit, lemon meringue, graham crackers and green tea.”
From me: Winemaker Bill Nancarrow aged half the wine in steel tanks on the lees and the other half in French Oak, also on the lees. It’s Old World in style but the bright Carneros fruit shines through nonetheless.
$46 at http://goosecross.com
ROSÉ
2021 ViNO Rosé Sangiovese Columbia Valley
From the winemaker: “Lovely pale pink hue, beautiful, vibrant, and pure. Passion fruit, wild strawberry, watermelon, tarragon and white lilac rise up to a crescendo. Focused and long with orange blossom, hints of star anise and juicy white nectarine. The wine is dry and refreshing like a sunny day in a mountain meadow.”
From James Suckling, who scored it a 92: “A fragrant nose of sliced apple, rose and orange blossom. Medium-bodied. Rather fresh and mineral with good depth and presence. Very tasty.”
From me: Charles Smith strikes again. I can’t think of anyone who delivers more value and quality in the same bottle than the magic man from Washington state. This 100-percent sangiovese pink has been around since 2014, but I only recently discovered it at Costco. My bad!
$11.99 at http://wine.com
2022 Hampton Water
From the winemaker: “This beautiful wine reflects South of France know-how and terroir, paying a tribute to the Hamptons and South of France’s art de vivre.”
From Decanter, which scored it a 90: “A joint-project between Languedoc wine maestro, Gerard Bertrand, Jon Bon Jovi and Bon Jovi’s son, Jesse Bongiovi, this rosé is inspired by those of Provence but has its own identity. Ripe, fresh cherry and strawberry fruit aromas are joined by a herbal touch, while in the mouth it’s impressively sapid and mineral. Flavors of strawberry and herbs lead the way, with some peppery spice emerging on the fresh finish.”
From me: Bertrand first met Bon Jovi when he performed at his annual music festival at L’Hospitalet in the Languedoc and the rest is history. This pink rocks, as it should given the wine’s provenance. As for the name, Bon Jovi has a home in the Hamptons, of course.
$18.99 at http://wine.com
RED
2020 Ridge Geyserville
From the winemaker: “Ripe cranberry and cassis on the nose. Focused dark bramble fruit on the palate, layered with cocoa and clove. Vibrant acidity balances beautifully with opulent fruit and carries through to a long and elegant finish.”
From Decanter, which scored it a 96: “Enormously complex and full of personality. Lots of juiciness and briary-ness, with notes of espresso, soy sauce and gaminess. Very rich, impressive and structured. 2020 was Ridge’s 55th consecutive vintage of Geyserville, a wine that many Ridge collectors consider the winery’s best zinfandel blend. Made from old vines, some of which are more than 125 years old and 60 percent of which are 50 years old or older. That, of course, leads to tiny yields.”
From me: I’ve been a fan of this red field blend since the 1980s but, regrettably, I hadn’t tasted it in recent years. My bad. To be sure, I’m back on the bandwagon.
$37.79 at Specs
2015 Clos de Trias
From Perfectly Provence: “The Norwegian-American winemaker Evan Bakke is known for his sublime winemaking skills. Above all, he specializes in making sultry reds. These get aged for around five years before the date of release, and are grown on the most ancient soil on the planet, over 200 million years old. All of Evan Bake’s collections are biodynamically grown.”
From me: Bakke spent 14 years learning the winemaking craft in California before launching Clos de Trias in the foothills of Mont Ventoux in 2007. He’s got 25 hectares of old vine grenache, the core varietal in this hearty, earthy gem.
$xx at http://aocselections.com
2020 Spicewood Vineyards Tempranillo
From the winemaker: “Aromas of hazelnut and vanilla cream with flavors of cherry cola and figs.”
From me: Ron Yates, the aforementioned winemaker, suggests trying this tempranillo with angel-food cake or a margherita pizza. I can only vouch for how delicious it was with pulled pork, several kinds of mac-and-cheese and leftover Thanksgiving green-bean casserole. Talk about a versatile red . . .
$39.99 at http://spicewoodvineyards.com
2014 Pinea Red Ribero del Duero
From the winemaker: “Fermented and aged entirely in French oak barrels, it comes from Cardisanto, a unique vineyard from which we obtain the best grapes in our Domain. Such an amazing terroir that surprises in the glass due to its structure, acidity, elegant texture and the echo of aromas on the palate.”
From the folks at Timeless Wines: “It’s clean and balanced, and very intense in aromas. As is typical for the varietal, it is rich in black fruit aromas, predominantly blackberry. The use of new oak gives pungent aromas of bitter chocolate, coffee, cedar and smoky notes that give length and depth. It has a powerful attack on the palate, which fills and envelops the palate from start to finish. Full-bodied, it has high tannins and considerable alcohol, although both are very well integrated. It is perfectly balanced on its passage through the mouth, leaving flavors of black forest fruits, blackberries and spices such as clove and black pepper. It leaves a long, harmonious aftertaste. It all comes together in a finish of smoky, slightly bitter notes, which give it great length and a persistence that lasts a long time after drinking.”
From me: Think I can top that assessment? Nope. So . . . what they said.
$150 at http://timelesswines.com
H-Town happenings
Tastings Every Saturday at French Country Wines: Noon-5 p.m. Free. http://frenchcountrywines.com
Tastings Every Wednesday at Montrose Cheese & Wine: 5-7 p.m. Free. http://montrosecheeseandwine.com
Tastings Every Thursday at Cueva in the Marriott Marquis Houston: 6:30-7:30 p.m. $40 http://eventbrite.com
Symposium Saturdays: 4-5 p.m. at Stella’s Wine Bar in the Post Oak Hotel. $75. http://eventbrite.com
Wine Dinner Celebrating the Season and Cabernet Franc: 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7, at the Atkins House. $85. http://eventbrite.com
The Rado Wine Club Tasting Experience: 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, at the Rado MKT. $50. http://eventbrite.com
Follow me
Podcast: Sporty Wine Guy, wherever you get your podcasts. A new one, hosted by Jeremy Parzen (yep, that’s us pictured above, sharing a bottle in the Piemonte), will be dropping in the next day or two.
Instagram: http://@sportywineguy
Facebook: Dale Robertson
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Our Gourmet Tours’ spring 2024 ramble through Italy’s glorious Piemonte — bookended by two-night layovers in Turin and Milan with a mid-week chow-down at the three-Michelin-starred Piazza Duomo restaurant in Alba — is shaping up nicely, and we still have four spots available.
I spent three days in the Langhe and environs recently catching up with old friends, all of whom will be hosting our stops, and meeting a few new ones, who will also be in the mix over our nine days in my favorite corner of Italy.
As previously noted in this space, our home base for four glorious nights in the Langhe will be the elegant Relais Luigi Einaudi, which sits on a panoramic hilltop above the town of Dogliani, one of the region’s hidden gems. (Better still, the Einaudi winery sits right next door.) From there, we’ll visit two Ceretto venues, the well-situated headquarters in San Cassiano just west of Alba and the flagship Bricco Roche estate, with its landmark glass Cube that was designed and constructed by the same firm responsible for the Pyramid at the Louvre in Paris.
Note that the Cerettos are partners with chef Enrico Crippa at Piazza Duomo, one of the world’s great restaurants where we’ll lunch after a morning visit to the historic Pio Cesare cellars nearby. They older section dates to the late 19th century and the space is split by a 2,000-year-old Roman wall. Pio Cesare is uniquely situated, being the only winery in Alba proper.
The sumptuous lunch at Piazza Duomo will be one of at least four that will be prepared by Michelin-starred chefs. Another, Guido, located at the Fontanafredda winery, has a storied history and personal memories that I’ll be excited to share with you. We’ll also have a lunch catered by a Michelin-starred chef at the magnificent Airbnb owned by the Amistà Winery in Nizza, the happening new DOCG carved out of the Barbera d’Asti DOC in 2014. This is new turf for me and it blew me away.
My partner, Pablo Valqui, will soon begin working on finding the perfect hotels, restaurants and tasting venues in Turin and Milan. We’ll convene in the former, which I got to know well during my nearly three weeks spent there covering the 2006 Winter Olympics, on Thursday, May 23, and wrap up our grand adventure in the latter on Saturday, June 1. There will be a quick day trip out to Franciacorta’s bubbles country, too, in order to visit the spectacular Ca del Bosco property.
And, before we hit the wine trail, we’ll detour up and over the Alps into my neighborhood, the Ubaye Valley (http://ubaye.com) for a special late-afternoon dinner with my great friend, chef Hubert Longeron, at his gîte in one of France’s most remote and breathtakingly beautiful corners.
For more information about our destinations, click on the following links. For pricing and bookings, go to http://gourmettours.biz.
WINERIES
Amistà: http://amistapiedmontwine.com
Bruno Rocca: http://www.brunorocca.it
Ca del Bosco: http://cadelbosco.com
Ceretto: http://www.ceretto.com
Domenico Clerico: www.domenicoclerico.com
Oddero: http://www.oddero.it
Pio Cesare: http://piocesare.it
Poderi Luigi Eiunadi: http://www.poderieinaudi.com
HOTELS
Relais Luigi Einaudi (Dogliani): http://www.relaiseinaudi.com
Villa Morelia (Jausiers, France): http://villa-morelia.com
RESTAURANTS
***Piazza Duomo: http://piazzaduomoalba.com
*Massimo Camia (La Morra) : http://massimocamia.it
*Guido (Serralunga): http://guidoristorante.it
Le Quattro Stazione (Saluzzo): http://le-sanssouci.com
Sans Souci (Jausiers): le-sans-souci.com
Ristorante Moda (Monforte d’Alba): http://modavenue.eu
La Locanda del Sorriso (Dogliani): http://lalocandasorriso.com
Tratorria Il Risorgimento (Treiso): http://risorgimento.yolasite.com
La Piola: http://lapiola-alba.it
OTHER
Wine Museum (Barolo): http://wimu.barolo.it: We’ll visit on Monday morning, May 27, for big-picture purposes and to give everyone a chance to take a stroll through the town of Barolo.
The Sports Page
Raising a glass to . . . C.J. Stroud
The Texans’ prized rookie quarterback out-did himself Sunday, beating Tampa Bay 39-37 with his fifth touchdown pass of the afternoon six seconds before the final gun. Stroud threw for an NFL rookie record 470 yards and once again didn’t suffer an interception. His TD-pick ratio is 14-1 through eight games and the Texans are a playoff-contending 4-4 after going 3-14 last season. By his lonesome, Stroud has turned rookie head coach Demeco Ryans into an early coach-of-the-year favorite while all but locking up offensive rookie-of-the-year honors for himself.
H-Town happenings
Tastings Every Saturday at French Country Wines: Noon-5 p.m. Free. http://frenchcountrywines.com
Tastings Every Wednesday at Montrose Cheese & Wine: 5-7 p.m. Free. http://montrosecheeseandwine.com
Tastings Every Thursday at Cueva in the Marriott Marquis Houston: 6:30-7:30 p.m. $40 http://eventbrite.com
Symposium Saturdays: 4-5 p.m. at Stella’s Wine Bar in the Post Oak Hotel. $75. http://eventbrite.com
Balboa Wine Dinner: 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9, at The Grotto Downtown. $120. http://eventbrite.com
Wine & Real Estate Tasting: 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9, at the Texas Real Estate Investment Center. Free http://eventbrite.com
Texas wines made from Italian varietals: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14. Free. 713 664-7581
Napa Valley Vintners Wine Tasting: 6:30-8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 15, at Station 3. $95. http://eventbrite.com
Bowling & Beaujolais In Celebration of Beaujolais Day: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16, at Bowl & Barrel. $35. http://eventbrite.com
The French Food & Wine Festival: 6:30-9:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17, at the Post Oak Hotel. $2169 early bird, $229 regular. French Festival 2023 | FACC Texas
Catena’s Wine Garden: 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17, at Brenner’s Steakhouse. $95. http://eventbrite.com
Vino Vinyasa: 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 19, at the C. Baldwin Hotel. $30. http://eventbrite.com
Wine Dinner Celebrating the Season and Cabernet Franc: 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7, at the Atkins House. $85. http://eventbrite.com
The Rado Wine Club Tasting Experience: 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, at the Rado MKT. $50. http://eventbrite.com
Follow me
Podcast: Sporty Wine Guy, wherever you get your podcasts. A new one, hosted by Jeremy Parzen (yep, that’s us pictured above, sharing a bottle in the Piemonte), will be dropping in the next day or two.
Instagram: http://@sportywineguy
Facebook: Dale Robertson
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I could go on and on and on about all the wonderful array of wines I’ve tasted over the past six weeks here in la belle France and Italy’s Piemonte, but I’ve limited my touts today to wines that I know you can find without too much rooting around. I’ve added some salient sports stuff, too, free of charge. Cheers!
White
2022 Ceretto Blange Arneis
From the winemaker: “Crisp and bright, it’s a perfect match for the white-wine person who enjoys freshness (over oak) on their palate. With vibrant acidity and enticing aromas of green apple, Bartlett pear and orange blossom intertwined with subtle hints of almond, this wine will pair well with a wide variety of food and is lovely on its own.”
From James Suckling, who scored it a 90: “This is fresh and floral with notes of lemons, pears, chamomile, jasmine and chalk. Medium-bodied with juicy acidity and vivid, citrusy character. Flavorful finish.”
From me: This was the first arneis I had ever tasted and, hundreds of bottles later, it continues to be my favorite. The Cerettos didn’t save this once-obscure varietal from extinction, but, with their huge production, super-cool label and consistently excellent quality, they deserve as much credit as anyone for its current popularity.
$22.99 at http://wine.com
Pink
2022 Chêne Bleu Le Rosé
From the winemaker: “Fresh but disciplined. A blend of syrah and grenache, our Le Rosé is a finely textured, complex Syrah-Grenache blend. Importantly, it is made in a multi-step process relying on skin contact – a short maceration, not by the traditional saignée method – in order to reveal the full texture and character of the grape variety and give it nice length and structure.”
From me: This age-worthy pink is a complex blend of grenache (60 percent), syrah (15), vermentino/rolle (12), mourvèdre (8) and cinsault from the Ventoux AOC. It’s equal parts fresh, fruity and floral, with a longer, nuanced finish than you’ll get from most rosés.
$36 at Double Decanted (http://doubledecanted.com)
Red
2020 Pio Cesare Nebbiolo d’Alba
From the winemaker: “The sources of the grapes, enriched by a small proportion of nebbiolo from the Barbaresco and Barolo regions, provide body, structure and a long ageing potential. The fruit is intense and ripe, but at the same time fresh with very sweet tannins. Nice aroma and longevity.”
From James Suckling, who scored it a 92: “Perfumed and floral with hints of citrus. Strawberry. Medium-bodied with firm and fine tannins, and a bright and fresh finish. Pretty. Baby Barbaresco. Drink or hold.”
From me: A mid-1980s Pio Cesare Barolo turned me on to nebbiolo and my love for same has only heightened through the years.
$38.99 from http://wine.com
2021 Pio Cesare Fides Barbera d’Alba
From the winemaker: “Shows full body, balance and concentration. Ripe fruit with a spicy edge. Can be laid down for a very long life in the cellar.”
From James Suckling, who scored it a 94: “A linear and fresh barbera with dark fruit, bark, walnuts and orange peel. It’s medium-bodied with well-integrated tannins. Focused and fine. Sophisticated. Tangy finish. Very long.”
From me: Back in the day, oenophiles didn’t take barbera seriously. These days, that would be a big mistake. Complex, concentrated barberas like this — and those coming out of the relatively new Nizza DOCG — must be taken seriously. I’d also suggest you try the two crazy-good Nizza from Amista that are on the list at Andiron. You’ll very quickly taste what I’m talking about here.
$55.99 at http://wine.com
2020 Domaine de Mourchon Grand Reserve
From the winemaker: “This wine is deep purple in colour with a nose suggesting spices, liquorice and cooked red fruit. The palate is full bodied with elegant fruit intensity, some spice and harmonious tannins.”
From me: A blend of grenache (65 percent) and syrah grown on 60-year-old vines around the lovely village of Seguret in the Southern Rhone Valley, it’s vinified in a mix of barrels and concrete vats. I’ve tried every vintage since 2000 and have never been disappointed.
$31 at http://aocselections.com
2021 St. Pierre de Mejans Côtes de Luberon Rouge Vielles Vignes
From the winemaker: “This red wine from our most beautiful plots delivers strength and power, all coated in sweetness. It’s a beautiful balance between the sun of Provence and the spices of Syrah.”
From me: In a word, it’s simply delicious and pairs splendidly with all manner of meat, fish and fowl. I’d be a huge fan even if the winery’s owner, Wendy Heineken Gobbi wasn’t from the Houston area.
$33 at http://aocselections.com
The Sports Page
Raising a glass to . . . Dusty Baker
They simply don’t come any better than Dusty, who retired this week after the Astros’ Game-Seven ALCS loss to the Texas Rangers. I was of the opinion he should have said his farewells after he became the oldest manager to win a World Series last year, but, in retrospect, Baker made the right call at every level by returning because that’s who he is. If he could claim one championship, he reasoned, why not try to go for a second? And, by sticking around, Dusty treated his players, the media and the fans to an extra priceless year of Dusty.
Sadly, I barely got to know the man because he arrived in H-town just as I was bidding adieu to the city’s press boxes, so I’ll leave to my friend and former colleague Jerome Solomon, the Chronicle sports columnist, to put in proper perspective the remarkable scope of Baker’s first-ballot Hall-of-Fame career:
“The story of baseball cannot be told without including Johnnie B. Baker . . . He broke into the majors as a 19-year-old outfielder in 1968. He shared a box score with Hank Aaron in his first game as a player and carried Satchel Paige’s golf clubs as a rook with the Braves. He finished his playing career on a team with Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco. In Baker’s first game as a manager, 25 years after his debut as a player, Barry Bonds was on his roster. Baker was in the on-deck circle when Aaron hit home run No. 715, and he was in the dugout as a manager when Bonds hit a record 73 homers in 2001.”
Yea, we were truly blessed to have Baker in our midst for four seasons, which became four of the greatest in Astros history:
Pouring one out for . . . H-town’s sports fans
We’ve been through worse times — check out the Oilers’, Rockets’ and Astros’ records in 1972, for example — but have we ever had a more thoroughly disappointing seven-day stretch? Not in my 50-plus years as a resident of Space City. To wit:
- Monday, Oct. 23: The Astros were deprived of an historic third consecutive trip to the World Series by getting blown out 11-4 on their own field by a Rangers team they had routinely pounded all season long.
- Wednesday, Oct. 25: After a promising preseason in which they went 4-1 under new coach Ime Udoka, the Rockets suffered a 30-point thumping in their season-opener at Orlando.
- Thursday, Oct. 26: Dusty retired.
- Friday, Oct. 27: The Rockets succumbed in overtime to the San Antonio Spurs, who were led by their top draft pick, Francis Wembanyama, the generational talent who would have landed in Houston if not for the NBA’s friggin’ draft lottery, which robbed the Rockets of the No. 1 slot.
- Saturday, Oct. 28: The University of Houston Cougars were thoroughly humiliated at Kansas State, going down 41-0 and incurring their first shutout in 23 years and a span of 291 games. They have lost four of their first five games as members of the Big 12.
- Sunday, Oct. 29: Playing at Carolina against the 0-6 Panthers — the NFL’s lone remaining winless team, the Texans were beaten by a walk-off field goal for the second time in three games. Later, the Rockets watched old Warriors nemesis Steph Curry bury them in a flurry of late three-pointers in their home-opener to fall to 0-3.
I should probably also mention the Tennessee Titans’ galling decision to wear throwback Houston Oilers uniforms in their game against Baltimore in Nashville Sunday, At least the scumbags lost.
H-Town happenings
Tastings Every Saturday at French Country Wines: Noon-5 p.m. Free. http://frenchcountrywines.com
Tastings Every Wednesday at Montrose Cheese & Wine: 5-7 p.m. Free. http://montrosecheeseandwine.com
Tastings Every Thursday at Cueva in the Marriott Marquis Houston: 6:30-7:30 p.m. $40 http://eventbrite.com
Symposium Saturdays: 4-5 p.m. at Stella’s Wine Bar in the Post Oak Hotel. $75. http://eventbrite.com
VinellIo Wine Club presents Piedmont Collectibles: 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 30. $45. http://eventbrite.com
A Taste of Tuscan Legends: 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, at Morton’s Steakhouse Downtown. $169. http://eventbrite.com
The Magic of Tuscany: 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, at Morton’s Grille The Woodlands. $159. http://eventbrite.com
Wine Tasting: Noon Saturday, Nov. 4, at Light Years. $50 http://eventbrite.com
Balboa Wine Dinner: 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9, at The Grotto Downtown. $120. http://eventbrite.com
Wine & Real Estate Tasting: 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9, at the Texas Real Estate Investment Center. Free http://eventbrite.com
Bowling & Beaujolais In Celebration of Beaujolais Day: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16, at Bowl & Barrel. $35. http://eventbrite.com
The French Food & Wine Festival: 6:30-9:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17, at the Post Oak Hotel. $2169 early bird, $229 regular. French Festival 2023 | FACC Texas
Catena’s Wine Garden: 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17, at Brenner’s Steakhouse. $95. http://eventbrite.com
Vino Vinyasa: 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 19, at the C. Baldwin Hotel. $30. http://eventbrite.com
Wine Dinner Celebrating the Season and Cabernet Franc: 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7, at the Atkins House. $85. http://eventbrite.com
The Rado Wine Club Tasting Experience: 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, at the Rado MKT. $50. http://eventbrite.com
Follow me
Podcast: Sporty Wine Guy, wherever you get your podcasts. A new one will drop in the next day or two. Lots to talk about, particularly regarding my guided tour next spring to the Piemonte. Anyone up for lunching at a three-star Michelin restaurant? Welp, we’ve got four spots open.
Instagram: http://@sportywineguy
Facebook: Dale Robertson
And, finally, from my Podcast Partner in crime, Jeremy Parzen, at http://dobianchi.com . . .
“On Friday of last week, the Consorzio dei Vini d’Abruzzo (Abruzzo wine growers association) published this video of its president Alessandro Nicodemi talking about the current peronospora (downy mildew) crisis in Abruzzo. The average drop in production in the 2023 vintage in Abruzzo, he says, is 70 percent, with estimates exceeding 90 percent in some cases. The cause, as has been widely reported, was peronospora, downy mildew, a fungal disease that affects the vines after excessive rainfall. Last week, I led a group of top U.S. sommeliers through the region. Nearly every where we traveled, we saw entire vineyards that had been left unharvested. We also saw many sites where the plants had lost all their vegetation . . .”
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Updated 10-17
I used to tell people who asked me — and they would frequently — how I morphed from a sports writer into a wine writer. My pat answer was that covering sports in Houston drove us all of us local ink-stained wretches to drink, and I just happened to choose wine to kill my pain.
During the 20th-century chapter of my career, which began in 1972, H-town’s teams reached at least the semifinals in their respective sports’ playoffs only 11 times with long-gone the hockey Aeros accounting for three of those. In the 21st century? We’ll we’re still waiting for the Texans to get there and the Rockets have done it exactly twice.
By their lonesome, however, the Astros, however, have evolved from being reasonably decent to becoming inarguably dynastic since I turned in my press pass in February of 2019. Their showdown with the Texas Rangers for the American League pennant, which begins tonight at Minute Maid Park, extended their streak of seven consecutive ALCSs to an AL-record seven. And it’s their ninth opportunity — ninth! — to play for a league pennant since 2004.
Hence, my why-sports-to-wine explanation would hardly hold water anymore. Only the 1990s Atlanta Braves, with eight, have played for more pennants in a row. And that record comes with a qualifier because those weren’t consecutive. Remember, there wasn’t a postseason in 1994 thanks to baseball’s last major labor squabble.
Early on, I was fortunate enough to be thrown onto the Houston Aeros bandwagon when they were the twice-defending World Hockey Association champions. And they made it to the finals again in 1976, although, on my watch, they got swept 4-0 in the Avco Cup Finals by the Winnipeg Jets.
The Love ya Blue Oilers reached back-to-back AFC Championship Games after the 1978 and 1979 seasons, only to lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers badly (34-5) in the first, then again a year later when a blown call negated a Mike Renfro touchdown and ruined their chances of pulling off an epic upset that would have sent them to the Super Bowl. No Houston NFL team has played in a conference championship game since . . . not that anyone in our neighborhood needs reminding.
The Rockets reached their first NBA Finals in 1981 — 10 years after relocating from San Diego — despite a sub-.500 record during the regular season, then returned in 1986 with a shocking victory over the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. Both times, though, the Boston Celtics put them back in their place, as did the Mets to the Astros in the 1986 NLCS in their first-ever chance to claim a pennant — almost a quarter-century after they joined the National League.
The Larry Dierker-era Astros fell short of the NLCS three years running and four times in five seasons. Phil Garner got them there in 2004 — after which the St. Louis Cardinals shut the door in a gripping seven-game series — and, finally, into the World Series a year later. But a 4-0 sweep by the Chicago White Sox left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. Still, our baseball franchise has now advanced this far on 10 different occasions, compared to nine by the Rockets (seven), Oilers (two) and Texans (zero) combined.
By any measure, no matter how much the Texans and the Rockets of late have disappointed us, we’re living in the golden age of sports in Houston, all thanks to the Astros. When I raise or, better, quaff a glass to what they’ve accomplished on Jim Crane’s watch, there’s no pain to be killed.
So, cheers, Jim! And thank you for making me regret my exiting, stage right, just when the going got great. Terrible timing, obviously. But, hey, I got old waiting.
H-Town happenings
Tastings Every Saturday at French Country Wines: Noon-5 p.m. Free. http://frenchcountrywines.com
Tastings Every Wednesday at Montrose Cheese & Wine: 5-7 p.m. Free. http://montrosecheeseandwine.com
Tastings Every Thursday at Cueva in the Marriott Marquis Houston: 6:30-7:30 p.m. $40 http://eventbrite.com
Symposium Saturdays: 4-5 p.m. at Stella’s Wine Bar in the Post Oak Hotel. $75. http://eventbrite.com
Houston Chronicle Culinary Stars: 6:30-9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18, at the Houston Chronicle. $125-$175. HC Live Series: Events & Ticketing | Houston Chronicle Culinary Stars (evvnt.events)
Annual Texas Wine Dinner, featuring Ready Vineyards: 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26, at the Rainbow Lodge. $165. www.rainbow-lodge.com/texas-wine-dinner
VinellIo Wine Club presents Piedmont Collectibles: 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 30. $45. http://eventbrite.com
Light Years Wine Tasting: Noon Saturday, Nov. 4. $50 http://eventbrite.com
Marvino’s Italian Steakhouse Wine Dinner: 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16. $99 plus tax and gratuity. http://marvinositaliansteakhouse.com
The French Food & Wine Festival: 6:30-9:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17, at the Post Oak Hotel. $2169 early bird, $229 regular. French Festival 2023 | FACC Texas
Follow me
Podcast: Sporty Wine Guy, wherever you get your podcasts.
Instagram: http://@sportywineguy
Facebook: Dale Robertson
Others to follow
Jeremy Parzen (http://dobianchi.com)
My Podcast partner in crime writes: “I’ve never owned a gun. Never wanted to own a gun. Have always tried to avoid guns. Once, back when I was a teenager and my father was living in Arizona, one of his friends shamed me into using a rifle to kill a rattlesnake we discovered while on a hiking trip. It was one of the worst experiences of my adolescence.It was the last time I handled a gun. Tracie and I share a personal aversion to guns. We are avid supporters of anti-gun groups. Yet, last night, a friend wrote me to share his family’s solidarity with ours and in case I felt the need, he’d be happy to give me a weapon . . .”
Sandra Crittenden (http://winelifehouston.com)
Sandra writes: “Like so many of the great wine regions of the world, a river runs through France’s Rhone Valley. The Rhone River shapes the landscape and lends its character to the wines grown there. Viticulture arrived with the Greeks in the Fourth Century BC, but flourished during the Roman Empire . . . ”
Russ Kane (http://vintagetexas.com)
The Texas Wineslinger writes: “
I hope you are enjoying the cooler weather.
It’s Fall and it’s time for some Hill Country wine at the Hill Country Wineries Fort Worth Road Show on November 6, 2023, at Tannahill’s Tavern & Music Hall in Fort Worth, Texas. This event will feature wines from 20 Texas Hill country wineries. See details below . . .”
Jeff Kralick (http://thedrunkencyclist.com)
The DC writes: “I am currently experiencing a phenomenon that I could not have fathomed a decade ago: I am awash in samples. According to my inventory, I am currently hovering around 200 bottles that were sent to me to taste. Since I am a bit of a math geek, I did some calculations: If I average going through 15 bottles a week (three a day—I try not to “work” on the weekend), that comes out to about 13 weeks of wine. A quarter of a year . . .”
Katrina Rene (http://thecorkscrewconcierge.com)
Kat writes: “I absolutely love the Wedding Oak Wine Train and had an absolute blast when I rode it last summer. Check out my video recap as well as my blog post . . .”
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Updated Oct. 8
A random recent tout led to make a quick trip over the mountain to Italy late last week to check out a possible home base for my Piemontese wine tour next spring. And I needed about 10 minutes, with my head on a 360-degree swivel because of the magnificent views in every direction, to decide to reserve four rooms at the Relais Luigi Einaudi above the gorgeous town of Dogliani in the Langhe.
The only bad news is I wanted seven rooms, but four were all they had left for the last week in May. So me and my partner Pablo Valqui are going to have to bunk elsewhere. Hey, our clients always come first with gourmettours.biz (http://gourmettours.biz). But I do intend to drop by for a dip in the cool wine-bottled-shaped pool, show below.
If the name Luigi Einaudi rings a bell, it should. Long before he became a beloved president of the Italian Republic in the post-war years — 1948-57 — he was an aspiring vintner, having purchase the first of his estates at the age of 23 in 1897. But Einaudi (pictured below) would go on to pursue careers in high finance and journalism until the fascists came to power, ultimately forcing him to flee to Switzerland, not returning to Italy until Mussolini fell in 1943. A liberal in the true European libertarian sense, he is remembered as a vocal, pioneering force in economic federalism, the end result of which would become, long after his death in 1961, the formation of the European Union.
But, despite all the years he would spend in Rome, his heart never left his beloved Langhe hills. Today, Einaudi’s heirs own 10 farmsteads with 111 acres under vine from Barolo (Terlo and Cannubi) to Dogliani, where they were instrumental in creating the DOCG Dolcetto di Dogliani. The Einaudi winery with its 240,000-bottle cellar is conveniently located beneath the lovely albergo where my folks will be based.
I can’t say enough good things about the Barolos and the Dolcettos, but the wine in the Einaudi lineup that’s the most special to me personally is the Langhe Rosso, an juicy, well-extracted blend of nebbiolo (30 percent) cabernet (30 percent), merlot (20 percent) and barbera that represents a perfect intersection between flavor profile and price point ($30). Unfortunately, I rarely see it in Houston, although Enoteca Rosa’s Brian Brossa, bless him, has had it on his wine list in the past.
Our tour is good to go as is, but we can still accommodate one more couple. We start in Turin May 23 and finish in Milan June 1 with lots of crazy good winery detours in between, including Bruno Rocca (http://brunoroca.com), Ceretto (http://ceretto.com), Marchesi di Gresy http://marchesidigresy.com), Oddero (http://oddero.it) and Pio Cesare (http://piocesare.it) in the Langhe and Ca del Bosco (http://cadelbosco.com) in Franciacorte.
As Rachel Maddow is wont to say, watch this space for updates. I’ll be returning to the region in late October to knock around, taste and fine-tune the itinerary. I know, dirty thankless work . . .
The Sports Page
Raising a glass to . . . the Astros
Who, improbably, won their consecutive AL West title on the last night of the season despite having entered their final series of the season two games back of the Texas Rangers. Remember Rudy Tomjanovich’s praising his Rockets’ “heart of a champion” back during their championship run? It should be said of these resilient Astros, too. They’ve gotten knocked down with worrisome frequency in 2023 but never knocked out. Another World Series triumph would surprise no one.
And to . . . C. J. Stroud
No quarterback in NFL history — in NFL history, people! — had thrown for more than 1,200 yards without a single pick during his first four starts until Stroud buckled his Texans chinstrap. Through Sunday night’s 21-19 loss at Atlanta, C.J. has thrown 186 passes for 1,461 yards without being intercepted. At the other end of the spectrum, the Oilers’ Dan Pastorini suffered 13 picks in his first five NFL starts . . . but eventually led the Oilers to back-to-back AFC Championship Games, something no Houston QB had done before or since.
And to . . . J.J. Watt
A couple of serious, late-career injuries kept him from becoming one of the greatest players in NFL history, but he’ll still be a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer and would be, of course, a no-brainer pick to go into the Texans’ Ring of Honor on Sunday. What he did for Hurricane Harvey relief alone assures he’ll never not be loved by his adopted home town. Speaking of the “L” word, Watt admitted during his on-field remarks, “I’ve got a lot of love flowing through my veins right now and all that love is directed towards Houston, Texas . . . I’m incredibly honored and thankful to be a part of your family forever and all I want to say is H-Town, I love you. Thank you.” His taking out a full-page ad in the Houston Chronicle to express his appreciation for what the city gave him made me, no kidding, tear up. Here’s hoping young C.J. will in time become another J.J. He’s certainly off to one helluva start.
And to . . . Billie Jean King
Yep, Mother Freedom herself. She whupped Bobby Riggs, who proudly — and profitably — branded himself a male chauvinist pig, on a magical evening in the Astrodome a half century ago that I was fortunate enough to have been a part of. It was the first tennis match I ever saw live, and the first I was assigned to cover. Billie Jean, who became a friend, will always be on my personal sports Mount Rushmore. What a player, what a lady, what a for-real feminist trailblazer.
H-town happenings
Tastings Every Saturday at French Country Wines: Noon-5 p.m. Free. http://frenchcountrywines.com
Tastings Every Wednesday at Montrose Cheese & Wine: 5-7 p.m. Free. http://montrosecheeseandwine.com
Tastings Every Thursday at Cueva in the Marriott Marquis Houston: 6:30-7:30 p.m. $40 http://eventbrite.com
Symposium Saturdays: 4-5 p.m. at Stella’s Wine Bar in the Post Oak Hotel. $75. http://eventbrite.com
Newsom Vineyards Wine Tasting: 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5, at 25200 Grogan’s Park Dr. in The Woodlands. $20 http://eventbrite.com
Seghesio Wine Dinner: 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5, at Atkins House. $85. http://eventbrite.com
Celebrity Wine Tasting: Lights, Camera, Wine: 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13, at AR Workshop in Cypress. $60. http://eventbrite.com
Light Years Wine Tasting: Noon Saturday, Nov. 4. $50 http://eventbrite.com
Follow me
Podcast: Sporty Wine Guy, wherever you get your podcasts.
Instagram: http://@sportywineguy
Facebook: Dale Robertson
Others to follow
Jeremy Parzen (http://dobianchi.com)
My Podcast partner in crime writes: “Most Italian-focused wine professionals in the U.S. face a sticky linguistic challenge: how to distinguish between the classic expression of an appellation and a vineyard-designated or riserva category. And it’s not an issue confined solely to purely anglophone wine pros. Italian speakers often get tripped up by the tongue-tying conundrum. For many, the knee-jerk reaction in such cases is to call the classic wine normale or normal . . .”
Sandra Crittenden (http://winelifehouston.com)
Sandra writes: “Like so many of the great wine regions of the world, a river runs through France’s Rhone Valley. The Rhone River shapes the landscape and lends its character to the wines grown there. Viticulture arrived with the Greeks in the Fourth Century BC, but flourished during the Roman Empire . . . ”
Russ Kane (http://vintagetexas.com)
The Texas Wineslinger writes: “I just wanted to let you know that Heath Family Brands is pleased to announce the Grand Opening of Invention Vineyards on Highway 16 in Fredericksburg on Friday, September 22nd. Invention Vineyards crafts predominantly Texas blends, with a classic presentation of old-world varietals.”
Jeff Kralick (http://thedrunkencyclist.com)
The DC writes: “Over the course of a week, I taste a bunch of wine, usually with friends, and almost always with my wife. Here are some of the wines we tasted over the past few weeks. These are wines that were not sent as samples—in most cases, I actually paid for these wines (although a few have been given as gifts).”
Katrina Rene (http://thecorkscrewconcierge.com)
Kat writes: “So your girl had to take some time off and settle into back to school, Thing 2’s surgery, not to mention all of the projects on my desk at the office (all that #LawyerLife stuff). Hence, no September roundup of events in Texas Wine Country. But given that October is Texas Wine Month, I most certainly had to share some of the great events that will be happening to celebrate our great wine region.”
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ROSÉ
2021 Bodegas Breca Rosé
From the winemaker: “An elegant rosé characterized by delicate floral aromatics.”
From James Suckling, who scored it a 91: “A textured rose with subtle raspberries, strawberries and stones. Crisp and bright with fresh acidity and pretty red berries on the palate.”
From me: We have Bodegas Breca’s owner, Jorge Ordóñez, to thank for introducing Spanish garnacha to the U.S. market at a time when we rarely got anything other than the tempranillos from Rioja. He founded this winery in Calatayud in 2010 and made his wines with the garnacha de Aragon, said to be the original and most genetically untouched grenache clone in the world. The vineyards, at 2,600 to 3,500 feet in elevation, routinely experience temperature fluctuations of 45 degrees over a 24-hour period. In other words, the terroir couldn’t be more perfect.
$14.99 at wine.com
WHITE
2020 La Chablisienne Le Finage Chablis
From the winemaker: “Pale gold in color, this Chablis is fairly discreet on the nose at first, revealing notes of sweet spices, particularly vanilla. After opening, more fruity aromas appear with slight vegetal and lemon hints. The palate is fresh with well balanced acidity. The whole is simple and rich with great energy.”
From Natalie MacLean, who scored it a 91: “A crisp, clean and vibrant 100-percenet cardonnay with zesty green apple, laser lemon acidity.”
From me: The La Chablisienne cooperative has been around since 1923 and sources fruit from some 300 growers, who have 17,000 acres in 20 villages on both sides of the River Serein under vine. The sheer volume explains the very friendly price point.
$26.99 at wine.com
2021 La Crema Chardonnay Sonoma Coast
From the winemaker: “Aromas of Meyer lemon, pear and white flowers are supported on the nose by subtle hints of oak. Followed by flavors of crisp apple, tangerine, and pineapple. On the palate, the wine is concentrated and juicy with a lingering finish.”
From the Wine Enthusiast, which scored it a 92: “Hints of almonds and savory herbs in the aroma accompany Bosc pears and vanilla on the palate as this handsome, toasty wine balances fruitiness and an oak-aged spiciness for a complex and complete expression.”
From me: La Crema has been one of my go-to chardonnays for a long, long time. It’s well-made, inexpensive and easy to find.
$14.99 at Costco
RED
2018 Hestan Vineyards Grenache Napa Valley
From the winemaker: “The wine exhibits highly expressive notes of allspice, white pepper, and ripe red fruits, with a medium body mouthfeel it expresses a rich red intensity on the palate.”
From me: I loved this wine, made by Thomas Rivers Brown. It’s 100-percent grenache — we don’t see a lot of these from California — that spent 20 months in neutral French oak and it held its own against the grenache-centric French wine that follows, which happens to be one of the world’s best.
$60 at hestanvineyards.com
2019 St. Cosme Gigondas
From the winemaker: “The wine shows intense blackberry and fig fruit with licorice, violets, and charcoal on the finish.”
From the Wine Spectator, which scored it a 95 (as did Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and the Wine Enthusiast): “Dark and winey, this structured offering packs red and black currant paste flavors together with threads of charcoal, warm stone, bay leaf and savory, ending with a long tug of cast iron through the finish. A blue chip for cellaring.”
From me: The St. Cosme wines never disappoint, and I’ve tasted every vintage since 1996. The cellar dates from Roman times and the Barruol family has owned the property since 1570. Louis Barruol has been the winemaker since 1992. Nobody in the Southern Rhone does it better.
$61.74 at Spec’s
2018 The Paring Red California
From the winemaker: “This Cabernet-inspired blend displays classic notes of cassis, tobacco and chocolate. Focused fruit and shapely tannins shine as hallmarks of what we’ve come to expect from the sandy soils and slightly cooler climate of the winery’s outstanding vineyard sites.”
From Jeb Dunnuck, who scored it a 90: “It’s a medium to full-bodied, ripe, rounded, nicely concentrated blend with lots of ripe currant and blackberry fruits as well as an herbal kick in its tobacco, earth, and ripe herb aromas and flavors.”
From me: This Bordeaux-style blend — 60 percent cab, 20 percent cab franc, 18 percent merlot and a pinch of petit verdot — checks every box at an outstanding price. It’s from the vineyard and winemaking team behind Jonata & The Hilt Estate with most of the fruit coming from Ballard Canyon and the Santa Rita Hills.
$25.99 at wine.com
The Sporty Wine Guy
All things wine… but a little sports talk, too
The Sporty Wine Guy 