Birds’ Nest Wine

Posted by Jack Keller's WineBlog in General, OtherJul 10th, 2010 | No Comments I sometimes get requests for recipes for really weird wines, and when I read the subject line on this email I thought, "Here we go again." But the request actually seemed quite sincere. "In settlement of a gambling debt I have come into possession of 56 swiftlet nests of the white-nest or edible-nest variety. I have used 6 of them to make birds nest soup but wondered if they might be used to make a wine. The nests are actually bland tasting, which is why the soup is either sweetened or flavored with mushrooms or chicken broth. The nests are small and weigh only about 9-10 grams each; the 50 remaining nests weigh about 17 ounces. I have attached three files containing most of what I could find out about the nests and am asking you if you think this material could produce a wine worth drinking. It would be an expensive wine, as the 50 nests are worth about $512US here in Hong Kong." Read more....

The Fourth of July

Posted by Jack Keller's WineBlog in General, OtherJul 10th, 2010 | No Comments I woke up quite mindful that today is July Fourth, Independence Day. Last night HBO began a rerun of the highly acclaimed (and much deserved) 7-episode miniseries, "John Adams." What an exceptional piece of work it is – winner of 13 Emmy Awards and 23 others (Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild, Art Directors Guild, Visual Effects Society, etc.), and nominated for an additional 10 Grammies and 9 other awards. It is impossible to take this day for granted after watching that fine, fine collection of cinematography (Tak Fujimoto), directing (Tom Hooper), acting (Paul Giamatti, Laura Linney, Tom Wilkinson, Stephen Dillane, David Morse, Steven Hinkle, Sarah Polley, etc.), set design, costumes, sound and music, etc., etc., etc. And so, how exactly (you might ask) does all of this relate to winemaking?? Read more....

Carrot Whiskey

Posted by Jack Keller's WineBlog in General, OtherJul 10th, 2010 | No Comments I received a request for Carrot Whiskey, a wine made from carrots, wheat, raisins, and citrus fruit. I first published my recipe in 1999, an updated adaptation of a recipe first published by Noel Whitcomb in the "London Daily Mirror" in the 1940s. I mention this because I went looking for other variations of this classic and was startled to find copy after copy of my recipe on various websites without any attribution to my site whatsoever (although most of them published my attribution to Noel Whitcomb). This is intellectual theft. Read more....

*** Chez Ray Bordeaux Blend, 2004, Lodi, CA

Posted by Ben in 2004, General, Other, blend, cabernet sauvignon, merlotJul 5th, 2010 | No Comments Original Review, November, 2008: The 2004 Chez Ray Bordeaux Blend (B4) is a mix of 2004 cabernet sauvignon and merlot grapes from Lodi, CA. In the glass, it is medium/deep red, showing purple and brick at the edges.

Aroma is strong, fruity and oaky. Robust and simple - think pizza wine aromas. On the palate, there is a bit of an old-world style; it hits to the back of the mouth, with a bit of smoke and tannin. Not much fruit up front, in contrast with the aroma. The bit of gritty tannin is unexpected, but nice. It allows for a rolling, lengthy finish, where the fruit finally arrives with a bit of shy wave: "Here I am, after all..." it says.

Three stars out of five on the Spirit of Wine scale.

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Blend: I added 40% 2005 Chez Ray Woodbridge Cabernet Sauvignon to create a rounder middle. Stong blend! The Woodbridge added a middle; the Bordeaux Blend gave the front and back. Nose picks up some licorice and cherry.  Fruiter middle, but still a good pounce at the tail.
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Updated Review, a year and a half later, July, 2010, now six years from vintage date (that is the date of photo):  Mid red now in the glass, brick at edges.  Still pizza-wine aromas in the Lodi grape Bordeaux-style blend.  It is lighter now.  The palate shows a balanced, dry, mid-red style - fairly shy on fruit, with some mineral and acids lacing an older-world dryness.  Solid for food, though I do not believe this has grown more attractive with time.  Believe it would complement a round wine in a blend - similar to what I described above with the Chez Ray Woodbridge Cabernet Sauvignon.

Actually, right now I'm mixing up a few blends of 2/3 Chez Ray Bordeaux Blend 2004 (B4) with 1/3 Chez Ray Woodbridge Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 (WC) and calling it Chez Ray Bordeaux Blend 2004 (BB4).

**** Chez Ray Summer White Wine Blend 2007/8

Posted by Ben in General, Other, blend, botrytis, gewurztraminerJul 3rd, 2010 | No Comments This Chez Ray Summer White Wine Blend is a mix of one-half 2008 gewurztraminer (G8) and one-half 2007 22-degree botrytis chardonnay and chenin blanc (fermented dry from 2005 frozen grapes), combined with 2.5 teaspoons sugar per 750 ml bottle.

In the glass, it is light yellow with glints of green.  The nose has grass, hay and hints of sweet lemon.  On the palate, a tangy sweet middle shows first, with elements of grass and botrytis blending as it moves up into your cheeks.  The finish is clean and crisp, with moments of tropical fruit blending in with the mild, sweet acids.

Really, something to stick with on a pleasant summer's evening - four stars on the Spirit of Wine scale.

*** Chez Ray Merlot, CA, 2008

Posted by Ben in 2008, General, Other, merlotJun 19th, 2010 | No Comments Now we'll give a try to the Chez Ray Merlot, made from fresh California grapes.  Description of the associated winemaking for the 2008 vintage (coded M8) is here.


In the glass: Chez Ray Merlot shows as in medium deep red in the glass, it never gets opaque. 

On the nose: Poured cool with a brief decant and swirled vigorously, this purebred young merlot shows a fleshy, slightly meaty, mid-red berry nose.

On the palate: The first elements on the palate area still-young, yeasty red berry overtone, then bearing down with stronger black walnut, smoke and slashing alcohol tones.  Wants to settle down a bit still.

In summary: Overall, potential for being solid base in a blended mix.  Rates three stars on the five-star Spirit of Wine scale. 


Find prices and retail availability of low-priced merlots.   

** Chez Ray Cabernet Franc, 2004, Lodi, CA

Posted by Ben in 2004, General, Other, cabernet francJun 8th, 2010 | No Comments Original Review, January, 2009: The Chez Ray Cabernet Franc, 2004, was made from Lodi grapes, fermented warm, with a combination of French and American oak.

In the glass, the cab franc is a light ruby, slightly brick red/pink. Think pinot noir with a couple of years.

Aromas have a strong cork/woody element, which I recognize from a particular brand of agglomerated cork I used for some bottles in these vintages. Once you sniff past that, you get to a bright, light fruit.

On the palate, a bright, even middle of red cherry trickles down the sides of your mouth carried in light acids. The woody/cork taint hangs its tattered cloth over the otherwise light, sweet, acidic blend. Two stars out of five on the Spirit of Wine scale. Might be a plus in there with a different cork. Can't see it hitting three stars though - the stuffing just doesn't seem to be there in the underlying fruit.
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Updated review, almost a year and a half later, June, 2010: muddy mid red in the glass.  Still that agglomerated cork aroma, with fruit.  Bright red cherry, light wood, light cork.  I'll hold at two stars. 

*** Chez Ray Stage Gulch Vineyard Syrah, Petaluma, Sonoma CA, 2007 – Homemade Wine Tasting & Review

Posted by Ben in 2007, General, Other, sonoma, syrahJun 6th, 2010 | No Comments Original Tasting and Review:   


By way of background: Stage Gulch Vineyard Syrah from Petaluma, Sonoma CA for the 2007 vintage was made from frozen grapes procured from Brehm Vineyards, as code number 527 - 07SGS.  For my collection, the finished wine is called SG7P, because it was fermented with Pasteur yeast.  Here is the approach used to winemaking for this selection. 

In the glass: Stage Gulch Vineyard Syrah 2007 shows as medium deep velvet red in the glass, opaque at the center. 

On the nose: Poured cool with a brief decant and swirled vigorously, this Sonoma syrah brings an intriguing charcoal-broiled steak aroma forward, with plums and a touch of oak mixed in. 

On the palate: The first elements on the palate are a sweet, almost light red middle, buckled up with some charry oak.  A meatiness moves to your cheeks, and alcohols come on towards the end, allowing the balanced light acids and underlying tannins to peek through.

In summary: Overall, a full experience in a nicely darkened aromatic package.  Rates three stars on the five-star Spirit of Wine scale. 


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Glycerol

Posted by Jack Keller's WineBlog in General, OtherJun 1st, 2010 | No Comments Several yeast strains (see below) are touted as high glycerol producers. I particularly like one of these strains for its stable color extraction and wide temperature tolerance (50-90° F.), but the knowledge that it is a high glycerol producer and should present a denser mouthfeel has always been an additional plus. But what if this glycerol-equals-enhanced-mouthfeel belief is a myth? Read more....

Harsh Tannins, Smooth Tannins

Posted by Jack Keller's WineBlog in General, OtherJun 1st, 2010 | No Comments The other day I pulled a well-aged Burgundy I made some time back from a rack. Because I could see a sludge along the lower side of the bottle, I carefully stood it up and let it settle. After a half hour I opened it gently and carefully decanted it, leaving the sludge and a tablespoon of wine in the bottle. The resulting wine, after breathing, was incredibly smooth. In its youth it had been harsh. The harshness now hid in the sludge. Read more....