Louis Latour

Yesterday, I was generously given a bottle of Louis Latour Corton Charlemagne 2002 by a relative. Although a white wine, it went wonderfully with a dinner of sirloin steak, baked sweet potato and green beans. It has a beautiful golden color and smooth finish. I knew from experience that this was not inexpensive wine. I decided to look it up on Wine Spectator this morning. Here is the lowdown:

"Refined, with a dense core of apple surrounded by pear and apple pie spice aromas and flavors. Bright and impeccably balanced, this is harmonious and well-defined, yet dense, and has not revealed all its charms. Fine length with a creamy texture. Best from 2008 through 2020. –BS"

Score: 95
Release Price: $115
Current Auction Price: $169
Country: France Region: Burgundy
Issue: Jun 30, 2005


Rarely have I been able to enjoy a 95 point wine with a weeknight dinner :) Not to worry. I was actually given two bottles. The second one I'm saving for Christmas.

My personal Xmas Wish List from Wine Spectator's Top 100

In spite of the economy, I have some very lovely wines on my wish list from Wine Spectator's top 100 wines. Santa, please take note!

#6 Pio Cesare Barolo 2004. 94 points, $62 A "big juicy chewy wine" from a reliable Piedmont producer of Barolos.

#9 Mollydooker Shiraz McLaren Vale Carnival of Love 2007. 95 points, $90 "One of the few great Australian Shirazes priced less than $100. "

#10 Seghesio Zinfandel Sonoma County 2007. 93 points, $24 "Aged 11 months in 75 % American Oak, it's a complex, seductive, pepper and berry laced Zinfandel with a supple texture and a spicy finish."

#12 Concha y Toro Cabernet Sauvignon Puente Alto Don Melchior 2005. 96 points, $69 I had a Don Melchior at Christmas last year and it was excellent. "Aged 15 months in French Oak to create a red with a big core of roasted chestnut, warm fig and tar flavors."

#37 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley 2006 93 points, $27 "Emphasizes the intensity juicy acidity and sleekness this grape is capable of.

As you can see, this is diverse list. Italian, Australian, California, and Chilean wines are all here. One white, and four reds.

Back Again! Wine and Your Health

Hi everyone!

Wine Goddess Karen is back, after a lengthy sabbatical.

A study published recently in The Journal of Neuroscience explored the possibility of developing 'wine mimetic pills' that would replace the beneficial glass of red wine a day for Alzheimer's disease prevention. In studies with mice, neuropathology and cognitive deterioration was studied.

Grape seed extracts significantly reduced Alzheimer's disease in the mice.

Here's a link to an article on esciencenews.com. about the study.

http://esciencenews.com/articles/2008/06/17/potential.new.role.red.grape.seeds.treatment.alzheimers.disease


Wine Goddess Karen

The Answer to the Trivia Question

Here is the question again--

In the movie "Badder Santa" the little boy picks out a wine bottle from the wine rack for dinner. The wine label reads:1998 Chateau Mauvais Merlot. Does anyone know anything about this wine?

The answer is--

There is no such wine. "Mauvais" in French means bad.

Therefore the wine is "Chateau Bad Merlot".

Obviously, the perfect wine for Badder Santa.

Karen, The Wine Goddess

Mystery Wine

Here's a question for the trivia lovers out there--

In the movie "Badder Santa" the little boy picks out a wine bottle from the wine rack for dinner.

The wine label reads:

1998 Chateau Mauvais Merlot

Can anyone tell me anything about this wine? :)



Karen, The Wine Goddess

Viognier, a rare varietal

Ever heard of Viognier?

I first heard of this grape when I was taking a quiz on a wine website. Since I didn't take French in high school, I didn't know how to pronounce it. But since it isn't a common type of grape, I was immediately interested.

To quote my good friends at Wine Spectator, who explain it better than anyone:

"The rare white grape of France's Rhône Valley, is one of the most difficult grapes to grow. But fans of the floral, spicy white wine are thrilled by its prospects in the south of France and the new world. So far most of the Viogners produced in the United States are rather one-dimensional, with an abundance of spiciness but less complexity than they should have. Still, there are a few bright spots.

It is used in Condrieu's rare whites and sometimes blended with reds in the Northern Rhône. There are also a variety of bottlings available from southern France, most of them somewhat light."

I'm intrigued, and would like to try this wine sometime. If you have had a wine with Viognier as the principle grape, let me know how it was!!

Karen, the Wine Goddess

Syrah, Petite Syrah--Aren't They The Same?

OK, True or False--

Syrah (Shiraz)and Petite Syrah are the same.

Answer? False. They not the same. To a certain extent.

Confused? The first time I ordered a Petite Syrah the sommelier explained to me that Petite Syrah was in no way related to Syrah, it was just a name that was given to the wine.

However, some DNA research has been done on the grapes used in each wine, and indeed, they are related. Just not the same thing.

In any case, a good Petite Syrah is an excellent wine, having depth and structure. A good deal of Petite Syrah comes out of California. Syrah is a wildly popular red that is one of the principle wines coming out of Australia.

Karen, the Wine Goddess