It is really hard to get excited about the Super Bowl when the Patriots are in it once again. Let’s face it. They have been fined by the NFL for cheating twice. The head coach was caught spying on another opponent’s practice prior to their game and then the quarterback was caught deflating footballs to give him an advantage. My question is…Why do all the sport channels avoid bringing any of this up? Who’s to say that they are not still finding a way to have an unfair advantage? Granted, Tom Brady is a Hall Of Fame quarterback. It would be foolish to think otherwise. He is the master of the 5 yard pass and then watches the receiver turn that into a forty yard pass. His accuracy past 30 yards is certainly not as good as many of the top quarterbacks, but the Hall of Fame does not have an asterisk for that. I will watch the Super Bowl as I always do, and I will join the millions of other watchers who are only hoping the Eagles can thump them. I have a bad feeling in my stomach this will not happen. There will be joy in the land if it does.
We had a wine tasting earlier in the month, and I was impressed that many who attended liked the M. Chapoutier “Belleruche” Cotes-du-Rhone. In the past, Cotes-du-Rhone has been a tough sell to my group of wine folk. It has always been hard for me to understand this. Basically Cotes-du-Rhone is a GSM blend (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre) with slight variations depending on the producer and the vintage. Of course, it is old world, so it might have a savory side that many new world versions don’t. You might get some tobacco notes, earth, leather, you get the picture. However, many of them have very little of this, which makes it more appealing to the new world palate. GSM blends are on fire right now, especially from the new world. What many don’t realize is that there are some screaming deals coming from southern Rhone for half the price of new world versions. For example; two CDR made it in the top 15 of my “Top Forty Wines Under Twenty Bucks” list for 2017. Neither one of them demands more than thirteen bucks. That’s insane! I have one in the store right now and it is only $10. I also have on order, ten cases of my #1 pick (correct vintage) and according to my distributor, it is going to roll in at around $13 and, it is a Cotes-du-Rhone. Check my list out on the “Blue Collar Wine Guy” blog. Don’t miss the chance to get your hands on a couple of bottles, I know I will.
I had an interesting discussion with a friend the other day, and while we were talking I realized something I hadn’t given much thought to until recently. As a wine critic, one cannot allow preconceived notions or personal preference dictate ones judgement of a wine. There are basic elements I look for in a wine. Structure, balance, complexity and solid integration of all the elements in the wine. I also try to wrap my mind around what the wine maker is seeking to achieve, what message they are trying to convey. This really came to light for me when I was reviewing the Kerloo Cellars Chardonnay on You Tube which will be out tomorrow. At first I was so caught off guard by the wine that I didn’t know what to think about it. After ruminating for a minute and re-tasting, it started to come to me. Yes, the wine had good structure, balance and loads of complexity. Yes, it was well put together. The problem was, I had a preconceived idea about Washington State Chard and that affected my initial judgment. What I had to wrap my mind around was, what was Ryan Crane seeking to achieve with this Chardonnay? It was then that I realized that he was attempting to make an old world style wine from the new world. Chablis immediately came to mind once I backed up a bit and thought about it. Kerloo Cellars Chardonnay was very much like a very good Chablis! No oak, possibly fermented in concrete tanks with solid acidity and integration. As a critic judging wines, it is our responsibility to divorce ourselves from our own preferences and preconceived ideas and simply let the wine speak for itself.
Go Eagles!
Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man
