[Cornell Wine] Cornell Wine This Week

[Michael Beard]

CORNELL WINE COMPANY
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December 22 - Christmas Treats
December 29 - Southern Rhône
  FRIDAY, December 15, 4:30 - 7:00pm

  THIS WEEK’S CHEESE SAMPLER PLATE
This week we match Spanish cheese with Spanish wines.
Manchego                                                 
Sheep                                            La Mancha
 From the land of Don Quixote, this is probably Spain’s most famous  
cheese.  It is aged in grass molds for at least two months, giving it  
afternotes of dry hay.  A great match to many wines from dry sherry  
to rich reds.
Mahón                                                     
Cow                                              Menorca
 From the Mediterranean island of Menorca, this is my favorite  
Spanish cheese, mainly because it seems to go well with Burgundy –  
I’m sure it will go well with Tempranillo.  The cheese has a salty  
tang on the finish.
Ibérico                                                     Cow/Goat/ 
Sheep                           Central Plains
Over 50% of Spanish cheese production is from a blend of milks, and  
this cheese’s name comes from a style of cheese produced all over the  
Iberian peninsular.  This one comes from the Central Plains and shows  
mild acid from cow’s milk, the deeper flavor of sheep’s milk, and the  
finishing tang of goat’s milk.  In theory this should be the best  
match to Tempranillo.
  SAMPLER PLATE $3.00
  WINES OF RIOJA

Our most recent tastings of Spanish wines have investigated many of  
the newer Denominación de Origens, so this week we decided to go  
“traditional” and sample Tempranillo-based wines from Spain’s most  
famous region, and the country’s only Denominación de Origen  
Calificada, RIOJA.  However, despite being one region and one grape,  
these wines range from stainless steel wines to ones in American oak  
and ones in French oak.

1. We start with stainless steel fermented and aged wine with BODEGAS  
ALDEANUEVA 2005 COJILLO III.  This wine is 100% TEMPRANILLO and it  
offers a great bouquet which is followed by lovely berry fruit with a  
touch of spice on the finish.  Wonderful value - $10.00
2) As most of you realize I’m a bit of a traditionalist and the  
tradition in RIOJA is American oak. LORIÑÓN TINTO CRIANZA 2003 is a  
wonderful example of tradition, the wine spending 12 months in  
American oak.  It is an archetypical Rioja Alta composition: 85%  
TEMPRANILLO, 5% MAZUELO, 5% GRACIANO and 5% GARNACHA - $14.50

3.There are several “old houses’ in RIOJA that people ignore, but are  
producing good wine. MARQUÉS de CACERES is one such producer.  Their  
2000 RESERVA is a great wine in the “modern meets tradition” mold.   
Another great value  - $21.00

4. IZARDI is another producer who tries to match tradition with  
modern techniques.  The 2001 RESERVA offers lots of Tempanillo fruit  
coupled with American oak.  Their wines have upfront fruit and oak in  
an almost Californian way.  However, at five years of age, this wine  
shouts “Rioja” - $26.00

TRY THESE FOUR WINES FOR $10.00
  For this week’s PREMIUM POUR we offer:

REMULLURI 2001.  Whereas the rest of the wines come from RIOJA ALTA,  
this wine is from RIOJA ALAVESA, an area north of the River Ebro.   
I’ve been a fan of these wines since Pauline and I visited the area  
in 1991.  While TEMPRANILLO-based, these wines have almost a Bordeaux  
quality about them.  The integration of the oak and fruit is  
wonderful, and these wines age for many years - $32.50

TRY THIS WINE FOR $3.50/Taste or $6.50/4 ounces


SATURDAY, December 16th
Noon - 5 PM
Free tasting
As usual we will have a couple of interesting wines open:

After the success of the ROSÉ at our bubbly tasting, we offer MARQUIS  
de la TOUR LOIRE BRUT.  This is a dry sparkling wine from 100% CHENIN  
BLANC; fabulous value - $9.00

For a red we will pour CASILLERO del DIABLO 2005 CAMENÈRE.  I poured  
this Chilean red at an off-site event and it was a great success.  A  
varietal that used to be grown in Bordeaux (in the 18th century), it  
has become a star in Chile - $9.00

Looking forward to seeing you all,

Cheers,

Mick
Cornell Wine Company
(503) 531-3981
mick at cornellwine.com
www.cornellwine.com
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