The 2007 Philadelphia Wine Festival Wrap-Up

Belated congratulations to the PLCB and Philadelphia Magazine for successfully hosting the 2007 Philadelphia Wine Festival. This year’s festival had around 40 fewer vendors and was a little more expensive than last year. However, the festival’s central location at the Mariott Hotel in Center City, the food provided by DiBruno’s (including the quince paste covered cheese and the bruschetta with freshly-cut prosciutto) and the never-ending courtesy cups of spring water provided by Panna were all improvements that helped to make this year’s festival better than the last.

Here are some of the notable wines at the festival, with a few thoughts and surprises along the way.

The First Growth Bordeaux

This year there were three Bordeaux at the festival, all of which were First Growths: Chateau Haut Brion 2001, Chateau Margaux 2001 and Chateau Mouton Rothschild 2003. First Growths are considered to be among the best wines in the world. If you’re a wine enthusiast, it’s important to taste First Growths because they are the wines that Cabernet Sauvignon producers all around the world look to as their benchmark. Though young, these three wines drank like heaven and were not to be missed.



--Chateau Mouton Rothschild 2003 (PLCB No. 20296, $312.39): Aggressive, enamel-stripping tannins, but powerful, rich blackberry and cherry flavors lie underneath waiting to emerge; too young to be approachable now, but a treat to preview nonetheless.

--Chateau Margaux 2001 (PLCB No. 19342, $169.29): Flowery nose; softer and inviting; complex and nuanced structure of cassis, plum and dark berries systematically unfolding through a long finish.

--Chateau Haut Brion 2001 (PLCB No. 20098, $170.19): Grand and opulent; signature dark berries, cherries and spice; calculated and balanced structure with an endless finish.



The First Growths, though, highlight an important issue about the festival’s pricing structure. Like past years, this year’s festival employed a two-tiered pricing system: the VIP Tasting, which cost $225 and began at 6:00 p.m.; and the Grand Tasting, which cost $125 and began at 7:30 p.m. In addition to getting an hour and a half head start, the VIPs also got to experience special Showcase wines at most of the tables, including all of the First Growth Bordeaux. The Grand Tasters, however, did not.

The two-tiered system is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it opens the event up to more people than festivals with one-tiered pricing systems such as this year’s Wine Spectator’s festival, which charged a flat $200 for everyone. On the other hand, one of the main reasons to go a wine festival (if not the main reason) is to taste the cream of the crop, wines you normally wouldn’t buy. That means the First Growths. To be fair, there were plenty of exciting wines at Philly’s festival for the Grand Tasters to enjoy. But it’s unfortunate that these three important wines were not poured for the Grand Tasters.

The Italian Wines

Italian wine lovers flocked to the Gaja table, which featured two wines: the Gaja Barbaresco 2001; and a Super Tuscan, the Ca’ Marcanda Magari 2004. The full-bodied Barbaresco had wonderfully soft tannins with notes of lilacs, strawberry and blackberry, while the Super Tuscan presented rich black currants, spice and a silky, round finish.



Directly adjacent to the Gaja table was Pio Cesare, which featured a Barolo D.O.C.G. 2001 (PLCB No. 4958, $49.99); and a Barbaresco D.O.C.G. 2000 (PLCB No. 23912, price not available), among others. The Barolo, while still a little closed off, was rich, silky and lingered for minutes. The Barbaresco had smooth tannins and revealed dried plum, earth and spice.

The Pennsylvania Wines

The Philly Wine Festival is always a great opportunity to check in with two local wineries, Blue Mountain and Chaddsford. Each winery produces a Meritage (sounds like heritage), an American version of a Bordeaux, both of which I’ve always found to be somewhat challenging. However, Blue Mountain and Chaddsford presented wines at this year’s festival that were exciting and surprising.



The wine Blue Mountain presented that piqued my interest was its 2005 Merlot. What’s exciting about this wine is that it is varietally correct. Don’t dismiss all Merlot because of one line of dialogue in Sideways, folks. If Merlot is not overly corrupted by the winemaker, it can taste and smell similar to Cabernet Sauvignon, which includes having Cab’s signature fingerprint of green peppers on the nose and palate. And Blue Mountain’s 2005 Merlot has that classic green pepper aroma and taste. It’s refreshing to see that Blue Mountain has the courage and skill to allow Merlot to be itself. Blue Mountain’s 2005 Merlot has not yet been formally released, but if you’re interested, you may still be able to snare a bottle of it at the Blue Mountain store in Reading Terminal Market. It has an $18 dollar price point.

The two Chaddsford wines that were the most interesting were the 2004 Due Rossi and the 2005 Pinot Noir. The Due Rossi is a 50/50 blend of Sangiovese and Barbera. This wine showed surprising structure and complexity with layers of wet earth, red berries, tobacco and coffee. The Due Rossi’s price point is in the $25 range. Chaddsford takes a subdued Old World approach in crafting its 2005 Pinot Noir. The nose did not have the intense fragrance of unswept barn and dried rose petals that is characteristic of Old World style Pinot Noirs, but the wine did have a welcomingly delicate and subtle palate.

The California Wines

PLCB Chairman Patrick J. Stapleton III may not have been a wine enthusiast prior to becoming Chairman earlier this year, but he apparently knows his stuff now. Shortly after arriving at the festival, Chairman Stapleton made his way to the Silver Oak table, where he enjoyed the Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 (PLCB No. 011663, $99.99).



The nose on this wine was intense and evoked a very specific smell I experienced every August in my youth when my family and I would go camping in Bedford County—dense bramble and meadow after an early evening rain. But the palate—while full of the Silver Oak's familiar rich oak and dense, dark fruit—lacked some of the nuances of the 2001.



It’s hard to find a California Cab as plush and as fat as a Cakebread. Its 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon (PLCB No. 11705, $55.99) is no exception. A blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, this soft and chewy wine was bursting with rich dark fruit, spice and caramely oak. It’s not the shyest of pours, to be sure, but that’s part of the fun.

There was another enjoyable Cab at the festival that had an impressive flavor profile for its price point. But because I have other plans for this wine, I’ll save the discussion for another day, closer to the end of the month.

Again, cheers to the PLCB and Philadelphia Magazine for hosting a successful event. For more pics, go to the 2007 Philly Wine Festival set on my Flickr page.

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New Year’s Eve 2006, Part I — A Champagne Tasting

A few years ago my wife and I hosted a Champagne tasting at our house for New Year’s Eve and it was a blast. So, we thought we’d try it again this year. This was a blind tasting—all of the wines our guests sampled were in randomly-numbered brown paper bags. Nobody knew which Champagne they were tasting when they recorded their comments. I picked five Champagnes for the tasting, most of which had received some sort of press over the past few weeks. Of the five selections, four were Champagnes and one was a California Sparkling wine. All of the wines were non-vintage. Because rosé Champagnes are all the rage this year, two of the four Champagnes we tasted were rosés. The results of the tasting were interesting.



The two rosé Champagnes were the Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé NV ($70) and the Nicholas Feuillatte Brut Rosé NV ($34.99, PLCB No. 029573). My friend Kez, who lives in France, highly recommended the Billecart-Salmon in the comments to a previous post. Slate recently called the Billecart-Salmon “arguably the best-value nonvintage rosé on the market.” I also understand it received a 90 from Robert Parker and a 91 from Stephen Tanzer of Food and Wine Magazine. Sadly, you can’t get it here in PA; a friend of mine brought it in from New York. The color was a light, salmony pink. It displayed aromas of raspberry, strawberry and minerals and was relatively acidic. The bubbles were explosive and frothy.



Someone I trust at one of the PLCB Specialty Stores recommended the Nicholas Feuillatte. This wine received an 87 from Wine Spectator. It had the color you would expect a rosé Champagne to have. Not as acidic as the Billecart-Salmon, nor as bubbly, and many of our guests said it had a bitter finish. But it was a little fruitier, had nice berry flavors, and our guests found it to be round and soft (one even found it to be more balanced than the Billecart-Salmon).

Of the two rosés, though, most folks preferred the Billecart-Salmon. Many, in fact, picked it as their overall favorite of the evening. Although this was definitely my overall favorite as well, I was not as blown away by the Billecart-Salmon as I expected to be. These two rosés were notably different, but I don’t know whether the differences between them are great enough to justify paying twice as much for the Billecart-Salmon.



Of the three non-rosés, two were Champagnes and one was a California Sparkling wine. The very first wine we tasted was the one from California—the Roederer Estate Anderson Valley NV ($21.99, PLCB No. 007933). This wine was featured in Wall Street Journal’s December 1, 2006 Tastings column (subscription required). The WSJ’s wine critics, Gaiter and Brecher, rated it Good/Very Good but didn’t give it an amazingly glowing review (they said it had “no real depth”). Plus, as the article points out, American sparkling wines are “often less nuanced, and the bubbles sometimes seem an overlay on the wine instead of an integral part of the taste.” It was also the least expensive of the five. So, I didn’t expect this wine to leave any lasting marks. Surprisingly, though, everyone picked this American sparkling wine as their favorite non-rosé, beating out the two French offerings. Two of our guests even selected the Roederer as their overall favorite. It was light, crisp, clean and smooth, and had a nice balance between sweetness and acidity.



The wine I expected to do better than it did was the Taittinger Brut Champagne La Francaise NV ($35.99, PLCB No. 004001). Wine Spectator rated this a 91, saying it showed “elegance and finesse” and had “an understated power.” This Champagne didn’t display any flaws. It was rather effervescent and I thought it had a slightly creamy finish. But aside from that, it was rather non-descript and unimpressive.



The last wine we tasted was the Pommery Brut Royal NV ($37.99, PLCB No. 029553). Last year my wife really enjoyed the Pommery we had, and because she had been reminiscing about it, I thought I’d throw it into the mix. I read on one of the bulletin boards that Richard Juhlin, who claims to be the number one Champagne expert in the world, rated this Pommery a 75, which ain’t good. But you didn’t have to be a Champagne expert to be offended by this bottle. Our blind tasters described its odor as “rubber gloves,” “petroleum” and “awful.” One guest gave this Champagne a two-word review that pretty much said it all: “That smell!” The fact that this was the second most expensive Champagne of the evening made it all the more disappointing.

So, what did we learn? Not much, really. After all, it was New Year’s Eve and we were doing shots of Champagne for two hours straight; it was heard to learn anything after that. But we had a lot of fun and we were among friends. And that’s what ringing in the new year is all about.

Stay tuned for New Year’s Eve 2006, Part II—Tangerine.

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Copper Bistro

Copper—man’s first metal. It holds a sacred place in our history as the first metal to be unearthed and shaped by human hands. Man’s first use of copper, interestingly, was decorative and ornamental. Copper became a vehicle for artistic expression. Its color and malleability inspired craftsmanship. Since that time, however, copper has become more known for its utilitarian contributions to society. Even today, copper continues to show its versatility. We rely on copper to make calls on our cell phones and to access blogs from our computers. For inspiration, though, we typically look elsewhere.

That is, until now.

Copper is a New American bistro and BYOB in Northern Liberties. The setting is intimate—the front room has roughly thirty white tablecloth, candle lit seats. There is also a back room, which can accommodate a small group or two. The foodsmiths are owner / executive chef Daniel Connelly and chef de cuisine Todd Braley. The kitchen is open and stationed in the front room, inherently making the chefs part of the dining experience. Yet, you barely notice them. Apparently, aside from the help of only one prep person, Connelly and Braley effortlessly manage the entire restaurant all by themselves. And they do it with a quiet, measured synergy. It’s truly impressive.



Our first appetizer was the soup du jour, Hubbard Squash Soup with Mascarpone Cheese and Nutmeg ($6.00). The soup was incredibly rich and buttery. Addictive and satisfying at a core level; however, a bit of sweetness would have helped to balance out the richness.



I also ordered the Turnip and Beet Carpaccio with Gorgonzola and Caramelized Walnuts ($7.50). The presentation of this dish was elegant. The rich, whipped Gorgonzola at the center of this dish provided a nice contrast to the cool, comforting root vegetables. The sugar on the walnuts, which were addictive, was a bit too candy-ish for this dish. A sugar with the depth of honey or molasses, for example, probably would be more complementary to the vegetables and Gorgonzola.



We brought a bottle of Rosenblum Zinfandel, San Francisco Bay Carla’s Vineyard 2004 ($26.99, PLCB No. 13724, Specialty). This wine was deep and bold—black cherry, black currant, raisiny plum and grass. With an alcohol content of 16%, this Zinfandel was a formidable (and enjoyable) dinner companion.



For her entrée, my wife ordered the Seared Day-Boat Scallops, Potato Rosti, Wild Mushroom Ragout and Proscuitto Jus ($22.50). The scallops were perfectly prepared. The mushroom ragout was flavorful and earthy, yet delicate, and paired well with the scallops.



I ordered the Seared Duck Breast with Fregola Sarda and Cherry Gastrique ($21.00). The quality of the duck was amazing—no gamyness whatsoever. Probably the best duck I’ve had in recent memory. This, too, was perfectly prepared. With a duck of lesser quality, one would expect the skin to have been treated to a few more seconds of searing and the meat to be coated in a deeper cherry gastrique. But, given the high quality of the duck, it was wise not to do so here, a testament to chefs’ discretion.



For dessert, we ordered the Flourless Chocolate Torte ($6.00), which I wrote about here in this week’s Culture Shock section of the City Paper.

Chefs Connelly and Braley demonstrate that Copper is synonymous with artistry and craftsmanship. Inspiration is just a reservation away.

Copper Bistro
614 N. Second Street
(215) 627-9844

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Franciscan Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2003

Because of its unique soil and warm climate, the Oakville region of Napa Valley produces some of the most highly coveted California Cabernet Sauvignons, including cult Cabs such as Opus One and Silver Oak. The 2003 Franciscan Cabernet Sauvignon hails from the same region, and it drinks as well as its $150 celebrity cousins. But the difference is that you won’t have to apply for financial aid to buy this wine.

The Franciscan is actually a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (89%), Merlot (10%) and Petit Verdot (1%). Most California Cabs are blended; winemakers often blend in other wines to enhance the depth and complexity of their Cabs. But a winemaker must use at least 75% Cabernet Sauvignon to use the varietal on the label.

On the nose: At first, the nose is slightly hot; you can smell the alcohol. So I’d recommend decanting this wine, or just letting it sit in the glass, for about a half hour before drinking. Once you do, you’ll be treated to the Franciscan’s wonderfully complex aroma of dark fruit, cedar, cloves and tobacco.

On the palate: This is a big wine. Rich, fleshy, intense and full bodied. You’ll discover black currant, plum and dark cherry flavors with notes of chocolate and coffee. The influence of 18 months in French and American oak give the wine a subtle hint of toasty caramel. Tannins are abundant in Oakville Cabs. The Franciscan, true to form, has firm tannins, enough to allow it to continue to improve for years to come. The acidity is light, and the finish is short.

On the wallet: Oakville Cabs, as I noted above, can be notoriously expensive. Throw into the mix that 2003 was an exceptional year for California Cabernet Sauvignon and it starts to look like this wine may be out of your price range, right? Wrong. You can get this wine here in Pennsylvania, and elsewhere, for a mere $23.99. A terrific value for those who love Oakville Cabs and for those who want to experience them for the first time. It’s tough to find a wine this good at this price, so stock up now.

On the table: This wine is perfect for socializing outside on a cool autumn evening. With food, it would go best with heavier meats—such as filet mignon, lamb and duck—or blue-veined cheeses.

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Philadelphia Wine Festival 2006 Wrap-Up

Congratulations and thanks to the PLCB and Philadelphia Magazine for successfully organizing this event. The place was packed. It was challenging at times to make your way down the aisles and to the tasting tables. Even though I arrived early, some of the more popular wineries were already starting to run out of wine. Given the ground I was hoping to cover, I didn't have time for detailed note taking. So, for what it’s worth, here are a few quick, skeletal thoughts on the wines at the festival that made my Greatest Hits List:

• Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 ($99.99). I had been looking forward to enjoying Silver Oak ever since I learned it was participating, and their wine delivered in a big way. Ponderous. The nose included light notes of cloves and oak. Rich caramel on the palate. Long finish.

• Chateau Palmer 2003 (Margaux) ($147.99). Palmer is a Third Growth Bordeaux. For this reason alone it should have been on everybody’s dance card. Spicy nose. Medium body. Dark fruit. Firm tannins, but well balanced and smooth.

• Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Fay Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 ($74.99). Lavender and violets on the nose. Dark berries on the palate. The warm tannins are the centerpiece of this wine—soft, silky and seductive.

• Cakebread Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 ($53.99). This was a popular table, as I suspected it would be. Even though I managed to elbow my way to Cakebread’s table by 6:40, I watched them pour the last of the Cab right after I had my sample. Dark berry and chocolate flavors. Peppery accents.

• Heitz Cabernet Sauvignon Martha’s Vineyard 2001 ($134.99). According to the program, this wine was reserved for the VIPs, so I feel fortunate to have sampled this gem. I was impressed that Kathleen Heitz Myers, the President of Heitz Wine Cellars, actually was onsite pouring the wine. Very floral nose with notes of cloves. Dark fruit and spice. Balanced tannins.

• Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 ($50.29). Plum and dark berry. Finish is long and complex with a savory / umami taste.

• Best Wine: Unquestionably, the Champagne Krug Grande Cuvee NV ($152.99). Stunning. Fresh, crisp and dry. Bold notes of roasted nuts with light buttery accents. Very complex and elegant. Worth the price of admission even if this would have been the only wine in the room.

Other Highlights:

• PA Wines. The two Pennsylvania wines I sampled were impressive and surprisingly drinkable. I tried Chaddsford’s Merican 2001 ($29.09) and Blue Mountain’s Blue Heron Meritage 2003 ($22.49), both of which are American versions of Bordeaux. Head-to-head, Chaddsford edges-out the Blue Mountain on taste. But the price points for these wines are bafflingly high, especially since there are numerous true Bordeaux wines available that are cheaper and more refined.

• Coolest Wine Name: Oculus. Part of the compelling “Wines of Canada” table. I know, oculus is Latin for eye and it’s the name of the opening in the dome of the Pantheon. But, come on, it’s got a heavy metal ring to it. Probably not the most polished wine in the room (a bit jammy, actually), but you felt like a bad ass drinking a wine named Oculus.

• The Food. The cheese and fruit disappeared quickly and the lines for the hot hors d’oeuvres were too long. Toward the end of the evening, though, I wandered to the side patio where the line at the Canadian foie gras table was curiously short. I soon found out why. This pate was intense, overwhelming and unnaturally gamey, which would have been fine had the experience stopped there. It didn’t. The aftertaste, literally, was nauseating. And it only got worse and more intense the longer you went without rinsing your mouth. It may be a while before I can partake of anything Canadian. Except, of course, the Oculus.

Final Thoughts:

• Next year, spend the extra coin for the early VIP Tasting. You’ll have more time to enjoy the more popular wines before they run out. Plus, you’ll be treated to special selections, like this year’s infamous Joseph Phelps Insignia 2002, that are not available to the regular attendees.

• If you plan to buy anything at the on-site PLCB store next year, do it early. Apparently, there were a lot of impulse buyers at the festival. The Silver Oak, for example, sold out quickly.

• Normally, it would cost $715.23 to experience the seven wines on my Greatest Hits List. I experienced all of them, plus many others, for only $95. Not too shabby.

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W.H. Smith - Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2003

On the nose: This wine is a lesson on why it’s important to use the proper glass for the wine you are tasting. This wine has a high alcohol content—14.5%. I made the mistake of using a Bordeaux glass for this wine (hey, we all cut corners on occasion). The narrower opening of the Bordeaux glass apparently stove-piped the alcohol and all I smelled at first without any swirl was nail polish remover. I take full blame for this; this was my fault, not the wine's fault. After this wine was placed in the proper glass, a gentle swirl exposed a wonderful aroma of warm plum, cherry and slightly peppery notes. Respect your wine; put it in the proper glass and give it a swirl.

On the palate: This is a well-made, mid to full-bodied wine. You’re greeted with a huge, creamy mouthful of plum, cherry, a bit of raspberry. A small hint of licorice echoes in the background as the wine decants. The wine has a welcomingly dry and somewhat short finish. Toward the end, the back of your tongue will be tickled by its refreshingly crisp acidity. But the long-lasting tannins are slightly harsh for a pinot noir, which distances this wine from the sensual experience you expect from this delicate variety. Under California law, a producer can add up to 25 percent of another variety to a pinot noir without revealing it’s a blend. So, it’s possible that this may be a blend (possibly with cabernet sauvignon, if I had to guess), which would explain the strong tannins. But I could be wrong.

On the wallet: W.H. Smith is a small California winery. I have read that this particular wine is both W.B. Smith’s largest production (fueling my suspicion that it’s a blend) and its least expensive offering ($23.99), which appears to be the type of wine the PLCB concentrates on in its specialty stores. Truthfully, this wine is a great deal; I’ve seen it listed on the Internet for as high as $37.99. But the bargain only serves to remind you that the Sonoma Coast pinot noir is the only W.H. Smith wine the PLCB will allow you to sample.

On the table: This wine is not fruity enough for lighter fare. And although it’s tannic structure is not delicate enough for salmon, pork or veal, this wine should stand nicely with beef and game.

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David Bruce - Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains 2002

On the nose: This wine has red berry, floral and faint earthy scents.

On the palate: This is a complex, medium to full-bodied pinot noir. In addition to the forward red berry flavor, you can taste notes of vanilla and mineral. On the finish, an unexpected and exciting hot pepperiness emerges and lingers long on the tongue. Very bold.

On the wallet: The PLCB charges $30.99. The complexity of this wine makes it worth the price, although a quick Internet search revealed that this wine can be found for as much as $3.00 less in New Jersey. The PLCB offers this as a specialty wine, which means that the wine has a limited availability and usually can be found only in the PLCB’s Premium Collection Stores. You may have a rough time finding this wine—I just bought the last two bottles at the Wine and Spirits Store on Chestnut Street, and according to the PLCB’s Product Catalog database, there are no stores in Philadelphia County that have any bottles left.

On the table: This pinot noir is elegant enough to be paired with pork and veal. Given this wine’s intensity, however, I’d also feel comfortable drinking this along side red meat.

N.B.: This is NOT David Bruce’s Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains Estate Bottled 2002, which Wine Spectator rated 92 and listed in its January 2006 Ultimate Buying Guide issue. The PLCB, apparently, does not carry the “Estate Bottled” version. This illustrates how important it is to pay attention to the label.

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