This week at Gnarly… Wine, Whisk(e)y, Brandy – and New Pinot!
April 12th, 2012
and left us senseless,
the world has been darker than lights-out
in a closet full of hungry bats,
and the whiskey and wine entered our veins
when blood was too weak to carry on”
Whisky, wine, whiskey, and brandy — tastings ol’ Buk would love, for sure…
2010 El Hada Verdejo/Viura – Rueda, Spain – $12
Fruity, fresh Verdejo and Viura blend. Ripe white peach, melon and citrus flavors take center stage, along with zesty acidity to liven things up. A tasty, thirst-quenching white that’s perfect for those first trepidatious attempts at firing up the coals and gettin’ your grilled porkchop on.
2010 Honoro Vera Garnacha – Calatayud, Spain – $11
From the hot, Mediterranean climes of Aragon comes this ripe, out and out raucous red that offers an explosion of thyme, wild-berries, and spice on the nose and right on through to your mouth. Subtle tannins keep it plush, and make you want to run right for nearest hunk o’ ham and Manchego cheese to have alongside it.
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Two Scotches from the same distillery made in alternating years – one unpeated, the other peated:
Tobermory 10yr Single Malt Scotch Whisky – Isle of Mull, Scotland (750ml) – $50
Unpeated and elegant, Tobermory is smooth and velvety up front, with tangy fruit, exquisite gingerbread spice and a hint of aniseed. The finish brings in layers of fresh oak, baker’s chocolate, almond and a little seaspray.
Ledaig 10yr Single Malt Scotch Whisky – Isle of Mull, Scotland (750ml) - $50
Where there’s smoke there’s fire? Hmm. Well, in this case, we’d like to alter that old adage: Where there’s smoke there’s spice. And salt. And Cream. And… well, you get the point — this is one complex, kickin’ kilt-wearing sip of a Scotch. A little smokey, a little
briny, a little white pepper all floating along on a soft, slightly vanilla-tinged creamy body. Not a beginner’s Scotch, but a beautiful representation for the peated whisky lovin’ crowd.
15% off all wine and & 10% off all spirits featured during the tasting!
The McKenzie men aren’t actually brothers – but whiskey is thicker than water. While their shared last name is purely coincidental, you’ve gotta wonder if thier mutual love and commitment to fine, handcrafted American whiskey isn’t born of something kismet-ly connected. Finger Lakes Distilling’s Brian McKenzie and Thomas Earl McKenzie(pictured above) source the grapes, grains, and fruit for their bourbon, rye, gin, vodka, and fruit liqueurs from around 30 local upstate New York farms, do all the work on-premises (FYI: some so-called artisanal craft spirit makers buy pre-made, unaged spirit and simply barrel-age it themselves–pfff!), mashing and distilling spirits in their 300-gallon, 20-foot-tall, copper-pot still.
Finger Lakes Distilling Pear Brandy – Burdett, NY (375ml) – $27.50
Handcrafted in the Old World fashion, FLX Distilling sources their fruit locally, and you know what? You really can tell. This brandy beauty has such fresh n’ fabulous orchard pear on the nose and palate, you’d think it was just harvested yesterday. Yum.
Finger Lakes Distilling White Pike Whiskey – Burdett, NY (750ml) – $36
Local corn, spelt, and malted wheat make up the mash for this smooth, spritely, buttery, toasty clear-as-day sippin’ whiskey. Although, actually, sometimes we like mixin’ it up, too (the McKenzie fellers suggest anything from pickle juice to pomegranate, but they’re just wacky like that).
Finger Lakes Distillery McKenzie Rye Whiskey – Burdett, NY (750ml) – $44
Seriously, we’re just gonna throw down and say it: One of the very, very best craft American whiskies out there right now. Aged in sherry casks, this 100% NY state grain-sourced Rye is aged in part in new American charred oak casks, and then finished in small sherry barrels, gracing it woith fruity, vanilla-bean flavors and a silky mouthfeel, but with that underlying herby, spiciness that we love in Rye. Use in a proper Manhattan, but of
course.
10% off all spirits featured during the tasting!
As happenstance would have it, gentleman owner/winemaker/chief-cook-and-bottle-washer Dave Grooters (because in a 3,000 case-a-year operation like this, you’re rolling up your sleeves, by gum) came into our shop this week for a quick tasting of his Pinot Gris and Pinot Noirs from the Willamette Valley of Oregon. And you know what? We were so smitten, right then and there we took on his expressive, absolutely enchanting wines for our shelves (from his LIVE certified, organically farmed vineyards, too, not fer nuthin). Dig it! Here’s what we’ve got — his production is incredibly small, so once this is gone, it ain’t comin’ back. Catch a little fleeting beauty while you can:
2010 Carlton Cellars “Canon Beach” Pinot Gris – Willamette Valley, OR – $17
Okay, first things first: If you are of the off-dryish loving Pinot Gris crowd, this is going to surprise you. It’s dry, friends. Elegantly, crispity, lip-smackingly dry. But that’s not to be
taken as a Masterpiece Theater-esque personality description. No, no, no. This Pinot Gris has life! Grapefruity, zesty, citrusy, zippy life. And its got surprises, too — like a nifty, silky bit of creaminess that pops up mid-palate, and some lovely pear notes, and long, star-anise spicy finish.
2009 Carlton Cellars “Seven Devils” Pinot Noir – Willamette Valley, OR – $22
This is the thing about really good Oregon Pinot–it’s got all the fruit that you love, but a bit of restrained elegance to it that keeps the whole kit and caboodle from seeming like some goofy, flailing cartoon of a wine, like some others we know. And CC’s entry-level Pinot Noir is no Mickey n’ Minnie show, kids. This wine is swellegant yet sassy, with a nose full of black cherries, thyme, and rosemary. The gorgeous, ripe, slightly brambly fruit continues on the palate with a little bit o’ spice and sweet tannins that offer a subtle yet firm grip.
2009 Carlton Cellars “Cape Lookout” Pinot Noir – Willamette Valley, OR $30
What you’ve got here is 100% organic, estate-grown fruit, that offers an incredibly silky mouthfeel and sweet herbs, violets, wild summer strawberries and cherries on the nose. In your mouth, the fruit is intense and concentrated, but never bulky or rude. It’s fresh, spicy, and succulent — the most elegant of dinner companions if you happen to have, say, a nice bit of Long Island duck breast to roast.
