On a blustery Saturday night in
February, the Garnet sales team headed over to the Afghan Kebab House on Second Avenue and
Seventy-First to take advantage of this friendly restaurant’s corkage-free BYOB
policy and delicious cuisine, sampling some of our favorite wines. The food was
great and so was the company. But the wines took center stage as we paired
mainly old world styled wines with the hearty, spicy Afghan meal.
Ferrari Blanc de Blanc NV
This Italian Blanc de Blanc (100%
chardonnay) has nice weight with 12.5% alcohol. It’s dry and slightly earthy with flavors of ripe
yellow apples. Good texture and mousse. Excellent as an aperitif, this delicate
sparkler is elegant, feminine, and balanced. ($22.49)
Peter Schandl Pinot Blanc 2011 Halbtrocken
A light to medium-bodied off-dry
charmer, this Austrian pinot blanc has hazelnuts on the nose, with good acidity
and just a hint of sweetness on the palate. There is a hint of beefy bouillion
on the nose, as well. Perfect with the spicey appetizers, it’s a beautiful
soft-textured wine with rich but subtle fruit on the palate and a very long
finish. ($23.99)
Crasto 2012 Superior Douro
A beautiful purple robe is followed
by violets, slate, and earth on the nose. Soft and full-bodied but with good structure.
Dark fruit flavors include plums and red currants which are supported by sweet
tannins. This mildly spicy wine has an expansive finish and it was great with
the lamb shank. ($26.99)
L’Heumeur Vagabonds Domaine Le Clos du Serres 2011
An inky purple color suggests that
this will be a full-bodied wine. Red currants along with fresh meat, cumin, and
floral aromas make up the complex nose. Black currants on the round, silky
textured palate. The tannins are mostly resolved but the remaining soft tannins
hold everything together and cut through the fat of the lamb shank. Ready to
drink, rich, and satisfying. ($27.99)
Domaine de la Morderee Lirac Dame Rousse 2012
Pepper, garrigue, and thyme on the
nose. Tons of thyme along with red and black currants on the palate.
Beautifully balanced and complex. Full-bodied with very good acidity. Lavender develops on the nose with more air
time. Drinking very well right now. ($23.99)
Bedrock Old Vine California
Zinfandel 2013
Winemaker Morgan Twain-Peterson is
the son of Zinfandel legend Joel Peterson, the founder of Ravenswood. A pretty
wine, the 2013 Bedrock Old Vine Zin has lots of oak and berries plus a saline
note on the nose. Full-bodied with tons of berry fruit and oak on the palate. Fine
tannins appear on the finish and dovetail nicely with the velvety, soft
texture. A little out of place in this tasting that featured mainly European
and more old-world styled wines, the Bedrock Zin was nonetheless elegant and
complete and the favorite of one of the tasters. ($29.99)
Tokaji Royal 2008 5 Puttonyos Tokai
The designation ‘puttonyos’ refers
to the traditional baskets that are used to measure the botrytis-infected
grapes that are added to the blend to increase sweetness. Six puttonyos is the
maximum, although that level is rare. The wine has a beautiful golden amber
color. There is apricot on the nose along with an orange peel note that carries
through to the palate. Less sweet than expected, the wine has excellent acidity
that keeps the wine refreshing. The nose and palate develop more nuance as they
open up in the glass. Lighter than a Sauternes at 11.5% alcohol. An endless, resonant finish lasts until the
next sip. ($52.99)
-Christian
Botta
