By: Bill Cheek, Kahn's North Willow
Let us be upfront and admit that I am NOT yet a wine drinker (or at least, not yet one with a palate to be trusted). So when Kahn's gave me a day off that just so happened to coincide with Le Grand Tour d'Alsace, I took the hint and headed over to conduct a bit of research.
I figured that to beat the crowd I'd stop in right at the start of the two-hour event; slip in, sample, take notes, slip out...but whoa: apparently when you offer twenty-five wines for the price of the gas it takes to get there (and, uh, maybe a cab, depending on your affinity for spitting) people SHOW UP. Who knew?
So over the course of an hour I mingled with the 75+ customers on hand and gradually made my way through most of the available wines. The Alsace region is predominated by several white wine varietals which range from dry to semi-sweet: Riesling, Gewurtzraminer, and Pinot Gris were clearly the order of the night.
Now we come to the fun part. Highlights of the night included the Rene Mure lineup of varietals, mid-00s vintages that displayed delicious age-acquired mellowness and subtlety. [Our manager at North Willow], Todd, was quite enthused by the 2003 Pinot Gris St. Landelin, which he let everyone in earshot know was "drinking like a champ." In fact, we sold every bottle in the store that night! (I noted only "Gentle tart, ripe apple" to prove that I am a rube) The ReneMure Pinot Noir V 2005, the only red wine in the tasting, was by no means a token - it was well balanced between ripe berries and tannins, and smelled uncannily like the Upland Lambic Blackberry I recently opened. Fun beer-wine connection, huh?
Other interesting selections (disclaimer: to me) included the PierreSparr Alsace One, a blend of the aforementioned Alsace varietals that featured a citrus/apple tartness overlaying a distinct perfume-likefloral character, and the 2009 Gustave Lorentz Gewurtzraminer, a lovely concentrated punch of flowers and melons and honey with a finish just dry enough to demand another sip.
I have discovered that I am a great fan of the Gewurtzraminer. Wine reviews can get pretentious & disturbingly anthropomorphic, but when they say this varietal has a "flamboyant" nose, they ain't lying. Instantly recognizable, the nose of a Gewurtz is a deep, brooding floral essence which tightly embraces a range of ripe fruits. And then in the mouth it is...well, various things, but these things tend to highlight a remarkable cooperation between playful and serious, sweet and sassy. You see what I am doing here. Anyway, the point is that my favorite wine of the night was theEhrhart Gewurtzraminer Rosenberg 2004, offering a richly honeyed, perfumed upfront sweetness that u-turned into a surprisingly dry spicy finish.
Of course, my co-worker Shilpa tells me the next day that Todd proclaimedthis particular bottle to have ameasure of undesirable oxidation present. This is clearly evidence that my palate has yet to reach the scintillating "mediocre" status it holds in my mind. Or lies. I'll go with lies, becausethat wine was great fun, regardless.
Last Saturday night, I was able to get away from our North Willow store at a fairly reasonable hour. Before I left, I made two purchases: the Ehrhart Gewurtztraminer Rosenberg 2004 and the Ehrhart Gewurtztraminer Herrenweg 2009. While I considered going straight home and opening these bad boys for a little Gewurtztraminer mini-marathon, I decided that it would be more fun to share this wine with some friends. I'm a giver...what can I say?
I decided to head over to our flagship store on Keystone Ave. to kidnap Brennan to join me and another friend for an evening of good wine, good food and good company. For those of you who don't know, Brennan loves to share. If competitive sharing were a real sport (instead of one Kyle and I made up on observing Brennan in action), then Brennan would be its undisputed champion. He turns sharing into an art and throughout the years he has shared many great wines with me, so I decided to return the favor. After wrangling Brennan away from entering beer Purchase Orders into the system--not an easy task because of his love for beer, Purchase Orders and technology--we dropped his car off and headed to a friend's house in downtown Indianapolis to see what these Alsace wines were all about. For a good summary of Alsace wine click here
Cliff Notes on Alsace: Suffice it to say that Alsace wines are absolutely some of my favorites. Alsace features mostly aromatic whites like Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and my personal favorite: Gewurtztraminer; little red wine is grown. Alsace wines range from bone dry to unctuously sweet, rare dessert wines. Alsace vineyards are fairly dry and sunny and the best sites are able to produce wines high in acid, body, minerality, richness and wonderful, even exotic aromatics. Alsace is one of the only places on earth where you can find full-bodied whites that are up to 16% ABV and still "dry." I say "dry" because these wines are pretty rich, even if there is technically no residual sugar present.
Notes on what we tried:
Rosenberg 2004: 91 pts Tried at just a little bit below room temp. Honeyed and lush with textbook lychee and sandalwood aromas and full palate of ripe, floral scented, exotic, spicy fruits. Drinking absolutely beautifully. If the vintage scares you, be not afraid, because this wine is absolutely perfect right now and probably has about 2-3 more years left. An absolute must buy. We all agreed the Rosenberg was the superior wine.
Herrenweg 2009: 89-90: Tried initially at a fairly cool temperature and let it warm up in the glass. Less honeyed than the 2004 Rosenberg and maintained a grapey freshness on the nose along with scents of exotic white flowers. The interesting thing was how YOUNG it tasted. I would recommend cellaring the Herrenweg for another year and it will be as exciting as the Rosenberg.
Three suggestions about Gewurtztraminer that you need to remember:
Here's what Ehrhart's labels look like:
Our club features high quality, competitively-priced wines from around the world. If we’ve learned anything from being in the wine business, it’s that there’s always great wine out there; you just have to know where to find it. With our club, you’re not ‘stuck’ on a specific wine, winemaking style or region and you’re never punished with an inferior wine from a poor vintage. In fact, the Kahn’s Wine of the Month Club is structured so that you will always get the best wines at the best prices, no matter what club level you join.
In addition, Kahn’s Wine of the Month club gives members a distinct buying advantage. Wine-club customers can purchase the club wines all month at 10% off the everyday Kahn’s price. Other customers won’t even know that the wine is 10% off! Finally, you may cancel your membership without penalty at any time, but we don’t think you’ll want to. We intend on choosing wines that make you look forward to what’s in store for next month.
Our wine club has three different levels that are tailored to meet your unique needs.
Collector: $100 per month gets you two to three wines that 90+ rated from Wine Spectator, Wine Advocate and/or Wine Enthusiast. Collector-level wines guarantee Oohs and Ahs from friends. They might even wonder how you acquired such highly sought-after wine treasure.
Buy this if:
90+ Under $20: $70 per month gets you two red wines and two white wines rated 90+ pts, are highly recommended by Kahn’s tasting panel, AND cost under $20 a bottle
Buy this if:
Tasters: $30 per month gets you one red wine and one white wine. You may opt for all red or all white.
Buy this if:
Members-only events are the best reason to join the Kahnoisseur's Klub.On March 29, Kahnoisser’s Klub members were treated to the Grand Tour of France, a FREE tasting that featured wines, beer and spirits from France’s most famous regions. K Klubbers had the opportunity to sample nine Bordeaux wines, and were introduced to the famous 2009 vintage with Chateau Bellisle Mondotte, St. Emilion Grand Cru 2009. The Bellisle Mondotte represented the much-anticipated 2009 vintage well, boasting aromas of black raspberry, black cherry and earth along with a complex palate, ripe tannins and refreshing acidity.
K Klub members tasted five wines from Alsace, a region known for its world-class single varietal white wines. The unlikely, but clear star was the Rene Muré Clos St. Landelin Pinot Gris 2003. Exotic floral aromas leapt from the glass and mingled with a rich, honeyed palate that was surprisingly fresh for a nine year old Pinot Gris! It was a rare treat for Alsace wine lovers and everyone else.
Our Champagne table featured four outstanding Grower Champagnes, called so because the grape grower and the winemaker are one in the same. All four Grower Champagnes tasted were dazzling, but the clear favorite was the René Geoffroy Brut Expression. The word enchanting is not adequate to describe it. Tastes of lemon curd, quince, and fresh bread accompanied loads of minerality, and great acidity to make this ‘farm fizz’ absolutely irresistible.
And then there was Burgundy…lots of it. An entire table was dedicated to Joseph Drouhin, a second table featured the wines of Louis Jadot, and the final table showcased boutique producers. There were lots of great wines, but perhaps the most memorable red was the Lecheneaut Morey St. Denis 2007, a scrumptious beauty with pure cherry fruit, earth, mineral and an enticing nose of violets.
The Cordier Pouilly Fuisse Rare 2006, a Chardonnay-based white Burgundy, was simply one of the finest Pouilly Fuisses we’ve encountered. It was rich and complex beyond comparison with honey, butter, a touch of spice and ample orchard fruits on a solid frame of acidity. An absolute wine treasure.
From there, tasters toured the Rhone and the South of France, encountering the wines of Chateau de Nages. The reserve white, the reserve red, the VV red and the Les Piliers Syrah were purchased frequently, as tasters continued to remark how outstanding they tasted for the price.
Finally, K Klub members were treated to six beers and six brandies. The Etienne Dupont Bouche Cidre and the Castelian St. Amand French Country Ale were clear favorites among the beer loving members in attendance. The brandy lovers in the K Klub were treated to VS and VSOP Cognacs and Armagnacs from Monnet, Lucien, Chabot, and Sempe as well as a surprising value-priced Calvados (apple brandy) from Calvaclub.
Remember, we only promoted the Grand Tour of France to K Klub members, so join the K Klub today to make sure you don't miss the next great event!
Valentine’s Day can be expensive, but it doesn't have to be, especially if you roll up your sleeves and cook dinner for your Valentine. We think this is such a great idea that we hunted down some tasty, easy to prepare recipes and paired 'em with wines we know you'll love. If you've never had a great food and wine pairing, then please try at least one of these!
Recipe 1: Grilled Steak with herbed butter
Red: Cabernet Sauvignon, esp. California. Check out Caymus, but make sure to decant it for around two hours.
White: California Chardonnay. Try Cakebread Chardonnay Reserve. You’ll be shocked how well a full-bodied oaky California Chardonnay works with butter sauces, even when there's red meat involved.
Recipe 2: Mini Pork Rack with Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans
Red: Pinot Noir or Red Burgundy. For Burgundy, try Bertrand Ambroise Aries, it's elegant with a touch of earth. For California Pinot Noir, try Donum, a big, mouth-filling Pinot from Carneros.
White: California Chardonnay or Riesling. Try Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay or Leitz Rudesheim Roseneck Riesling Spätlese. The Leitz is an absolute rockstar Riesling that will just break your heart.
Recipe 3: Chicken Scallopini
Red: New World Pinot Noir. Try Donum or Caitec.
White: White Burgundy or Sauvignon Blanc. For the Burgundy, try Moreau Chassagne Montrachet Champs Gain . For the Sauvignon Blanc, try Thomas La Crele Sancerre. The Burgundy will work with the sauce's richness, while the Sauvignon Blanc will contrast it.
Recipe 4 Garlic Basil Shrimp with Tomatoes
Red: Not recommended.
White: Sauvignon Blanc or Sparkling Wine. For the Sauvignon Blanc, try Thomas La Crele Sancerre. The Sancerre will work some zesty magic with the tomatoes and the basil. For the Sparkling wine, try Henriot Brut Souverain. The Champagne will work beautifully with the shrimp’s delicate flavor and will tie it in with the basil and tomatoes.
Recipe 5: Oven Poached Salmon a la Paige with Dill, Vidalia Onion and Cucumber Relish
Red: Pinot Noir. Try Donum or Caitec. Pinot Noir is a classic pairing with Salmon.
White: White Burgundy or Sauvignon Blanc. For the Burg, try Manciat Petite Bruyeres Pouilly Fuisse. For the Sauvignon Blanc, check out the Paul Thomas Sancerre Les Comtesses. The Sancerre will be magnificent with the relish.
If you need help with other food and wine pairings, just email me at todd@kahnsfinewines.com. I’m happy to help. Just tell me what you’re cooking and whether you want white or red.
Cheers!
Beer Dinner #1
The Oceanaire Seafood Room
Wednesday, May 25th
We were fortunate enough to be invited to a four course dinner hosted by World Class Beverages last month at the The Oceanaire Indianapolis. We paired two beers with each course. My three colleagues along with myself had a fantastic night that not only captured our sense of sight, but surprised and excited the palate. The pairings also offered enticing aromas that exploded from our glasses and plates while constantly perfuming the air throughout the event.
Reception Beers: Grolsch and Brooklyn Brewing Summer Ale were the two beers that we were welcomed with as we arrived. It was a particularly muggy day outside and both of these beers were a refreshing treat as we walked out of the unseasonably warm spring air.
First Course: Ahi Tuna Poke with Crispy Wontons, Cucumbers & Wasabi Emulsion
Beers Paired: Blue Moon Grand Cru/Three Floyd’s Rabbid Rabbit
This course was all about elegance and refinement. The tuna was incredibly fresh and delicate. The wonton added some interesting crunch to contrast the silky smooth texture of the thinly sliced cucumber. And then there was the wasabi emulsion, which kicked everything up a notch. The beers for this course were on the lighter end of the color spectrum, but still possessed some weight on the palate. The Blue Moon Grand Cru was from 2009 and showed some age on it. It seemed to be an Imperial Belgian Wit that had some orange and coriander aromas along with its softly rounded malt driven mouth feel. Three Floyd’s Rabid Rabbit is a Franco-Belgian style Farmhouse Ale that has an effervescent body and a light straw color. With its light malt body, augmented by spices, is a complex and frothy beverage with deceptively high alcohol content. Unfortunately, we’re sold out of this lovely offering, but we’ll have it again next March. Both of these beers were solid pairings, but my palate leaned toward the fresher and more complex layers of the Rabid Rabbit.
Second Course: Jumbo Shrimp & White Cheddar Grits
Beers Paired: Pilsner Urquell/Brasserie d’ Achouffe Houblon Doebbelen IPA Tripel
For those of you that know me well, you know that I moonlight at the Oceanaire as a server part time. This appetizer course is absolutely one of my favorites that we offer. I don’t know how many of you enjoy grits, but the plate presentation is brilliant as they lay a hand formed ball of grits in the center and gently place four jumbo shrimp around the bowl. Then the bowl is lightly drizzled with a savory tomato based ragu and freshly diced tomatoes. The Pilsner Urquell showed brilliantly with this dish. The soft malt and moderately bitter finish set up wonderfully with the slightly firm texture of the grits along with contrasting the mildly spicy jumbo shrimp. Our second beer was the Chouffe Houblon. This beer was brewed for the first time in 2006. It is an ‘Indian Pale Ale’ type of beer, with a harmonious balance between a marked bitterness and a pleasant fruitiness that lingers in harmony with the bone dry finish. It is unfiltered and re-fermented in the bottle, which will allow the beer to evolve and develop in the bottle over time. If you like it fresh and the hops at the forefront drink immediately after purchase, but if you like things a little more balanced, just wait a few months and the hops will fade a bit. The malt and yeast aromas will become more pronounced after the wait. I would say that this ale might have been a little too heavy and bitter for the dish it was paired with, but I was a fan of just drinking it after I finished the course. It is remarkably refreshing for a beer that has an ABV of 9%.
Third Course: Blackened Grilled Hawaiian Marlin with Carmelized Onions & Bleu Cheese Butter
Beers Paired: Blue Moon Pale Ale/Duvel Triple Hop
This main entrée is another one of my favorites to offer while serving. The layered flavors of the seasonings, firm textured fish, sweet onions along with the pungent and highly acidic bleu cheese makes my salivary glands pray to the lord for this creation. Our two ales here were in stark contrast to each other. The Blue Moon Pale Ale had well defined aromas and flavors of caramel as a result of those types of malts used in its brewing process. It paired up nicely with the carmelized onions and lent itself to a contrasting component to the Cajun spices the marlin had been dredged in before grilling. The Duvel Triple Hop was much paler in color, but had a highly acidic side to it as one might expect from “Triple Hop” in its name. This highly carbonated ale positioned itself differently against the prep by cutting through the richness of the marlin and Cajun spices. It also had this wonderful relationship with the bleu cheese that I didn’t expect initially, but as they worked together with one another on my palate I was blown away. This pairing was probably my second favorite of the night.
Fourth Course: Chocolate Cake with Hand Made Whipped Cream & Macadamia Nuts
Beers Paired: Leinenkugel Big Eddy Imperial Stout/Three Floyd’s Dark Lord 2011
Well, if you’re into decadence, this was easily at the farthest end of that spectrum without question. Chocolate and Imperial Stouts are a perfect pairing in my mind. The intense chocolate aromas of these massive ales are wonderful companions to anything that involves chocolate or coffee. Both the Big Eddy and the Dark Lord possess the characteristics I’ve just described. However, the Bid Eddy was on the lighter end of the Imperial Stout mouth feel spectrum, while the Dark Lord was as viscous as the oldest motor oil you’ve ever seen. I would say the Dark Lord was by far my favorite beer of the night and this was the most magnificently paired course of the night.
I can’t express how thankful I am to be on the receiving end of such gracious hospitality. I would strongly encourage all Hoosiers to venture out to The Oceanaire Indianapolis for a remarkable dining experience and please visit World Class Beverages and check out super cool features like Beer Spy and Beer U. The Beer Spy feature helps you find a certain beer at specific retail or restaurant locations by entering your zip code and the proximity for your shopping needs, but of course, you can always shop with us at Kahn's Fine Wines Beer for all of your craft beer needs. The Beer U program is new and if you’re interested in educating yourself further about craft beer it is a wonderful resource.
I’m certainly looking forward to attending and hosting many more wonderful beer pairing dinner events in the near future and would like to invite all of our highly valued Kahn’s customers as we continue to expand our event offerings throughout the rest of the calendar year. Make sure you sign up for our weekly e-mails and if you don’t receive the Khronicle it’s got the listing of the current month’s events on the cover.
Until we cheers again!
Best Regards,
W. Brennan Corder
So, I convinced Paul and Jim to let me sneak out of Keystone for a day and take 3 other highly enthused colleagues up to Chicago for an afternoon of absolutely marvelous fine wine tasting. We left early in the morning about 7am and arrived in Chi-Town about 10:30am.
We didn't have to be at the tasting until 11:00am...This is Kyle now. Unfortunately, Brennan has been pulled away by one of many strings of responsibilities that will most likely not allow him to finish this task, so you'll just have to deal with my perspective of this great day trip.
We arrived in Chi town early and had about an hour to kill so we stopped at Binny's. This is one of the most wonderful locations for fine wine, beer & spirits in the country. The primary reason for our stop was to acquire beers & single malt scotches that aren't distributed in our fair state of Indiana. We found some gems like Green Flash "West Coast IPA" along with Lost Abbey's "Serpent Stout". Kevin with his keen eye spotted the last bottle of Sassicaia barrel finished Edradour 10 year. The distillery only produced 464 total bottles of this glorious single malt. So, as a result we're expecting to have invitations made available to our staff next week to polish off the bottle courtesy of Kevin. Ok, enough with the shameless plugging of Binny's, on to the tasting.
We arrived and we're immediately greeted by our wonderful Bobby Kacher sales rep, Anne Markovich-Girard. She politely explained the layout of the tasting room, showed us the table with available stemware and gave us the green light to begin our three hour adventurous exploration of the beautifully distinct wines from the multitude of unique French appellations that comprise their portfolio.
Well, somehow Brennan has managed to escape the floor to once again engage in this blog. Please enjoy your further reading.
Best Regards,
Kyle
Ok, well, I'm glad I could return just in time to talk with all of you about this fabulous tasting. We began with one of my favorite Non-Vintage Champagnes in the world, LAMIABLE BRUT NV. This Champagne is one of the many "Grower Champagnes" that we carry and is incredibly and uniquely expressive. This wine has a penetratingly deep nose of honey drizzled granny smith apples, lemon-lime zest and graphite as you work your way through to a slight underpinning of subtle and elegant yeasty aroma. The texture is delicate and refreshingly dry with very refined effervescence. If you love sparkling wines as much as I do, and believe me, I can drink sparklers on any day that ends in "Y", so you know if I'm preaching about this wine, then you should seek this one out.
All of our "Grower Champagnes" can be identified by the letters RM, which translates to Recoltant Manipulant. These Champagne houses are small producers that only use the fruit they grow on their estates and are terroir driven with a wonderfully focused purpose of being true representatives of their vineyard sites.
We tasted so many lovely and charming wines throughout the day. Some of the highlights would be from fabulous producers such as Bertrand Ambroise. His family origins date back to the 18th century in the village of Premeaux-Prissey in the heart of the Cote D'Or. His Echezeaux 2008 and his Clos Vougeot 2008 were two of the best wines we tasted all day. They were remarkably dense, amazingly dark and highly extracted for Pinot Noir, but marvelously refined and elegant at the same time. Their balance and harmony were unmatched. Unfortunately, we don't have them in stock, but rest assured I'll be harassing Jim to purchase them with our next shipment.
Diane De Puymorin is the sole proprietor of Chateau d'Or et de Gueules located in the rolling hills outside the ancient Roman city of Nimes. We tasted several wines from her winery and the show stopper was her Q'es A Quo, which was this wonderful old vine Carignan. We also tasted her PETITE CASSAGNE BLANC 2008. This is a refreshing white comprised of Grenache Blanc, Roussane & Vermentino (called Rolle in Southern France). It has enticing aromas of fresh pears, grapefruits and ripe lemon zest. The acidity is vibrant and compelling enough for you to drink two bottles on the patio and reach for a third in just a few hours. Make sure to pick some up for your outdoor picnics or cookouts.
We also had an opportunity to taste with Philippe & Corinne Ehrhart. Their small estate of 21 hectares is located in the small village of Wettolsheim in the Alsace region of France. The Ehrhart family has been making wine in this region since 1725. Their wines are certified organic by the French government. My personal favorite from their table was at the top of my short list for white wines for the day. Their EHRHART GEWURZTRAMINER "HERRENWEG" 2009 was rich and full bodied. The nose had multiple layers of ripe exotic fruits like kiwi, passion fruit and mango accompanied by spicy notes that you would expect from this varietal. The finish had so much acidity it forced me back for more after every sip.
We finally had our fill of vino and moved to the Cognac & Armagnac table where we tasted the most fantastic Armagnac I've had in quite some time. The Tariquet XO 1994 was rich and full bodied and had marvelous notes of honey, vanilla & spice box along with subtle caramel and toffee notes. There were no noticeable high end fusels on the nose and the finish was superbly long and smooth. If you're an Armagnac aficionado or just starting and want to taste something that you can keep around, this is the one for you. Our everyday price is $99.99 and there are about 12 bottles throughout the three stores.
The tasting was finally over about 3:30pm and we headed out to avec and Publican for more great company, world class cuisine and some of the best beer available in Chicago! It was a great day trip indeed; the only unfortunate aspect was that Kevin had to drive home while the rest of us slept peacefully the whole way back home.
e-mail
permalink
comments (0)
Kahn’s Khronicle
Email Newletter