EAST COAST PALATE

So yesterday Jared and I made plans to go out, try a taste of Baltimore.  We started out sipping on a great Barolo at his house, then made our way to the Wine Market.  The best aspect of dining here is that you can buy a bottle from the store in the front of the establishment, then take it back and enjoy it with dinner for only a $9 corkage fee.  So he and a friend and I picked out a bottle... each of us picked one.
The food overall was good, the standout selections the duck paté and the decadent beef strogannoff.  The only disappointing dish was the special, tenderloin medallions that were cooked perfectly, but were caked with so much black peppercorn that the meat's flavor took a sad back seat to the pepper.  The decor is an open, industrial feel that aplifies conversation, but we still felt comfortable by all means.  And we had plenty of vino...

The first one (At Jared's): A 2004 Barolo from Brezza called Canubi from Giacomo e figli.  This wine brings a ton of acidic pucker, some slatey minerality, a hint of cedar and spice, with an inviting ripe boquet of raisins, dates, figs, and prunes. 89+ from me

At the Wine Market:  Gmork, A 2008 Gruner Veltliner by Anton Bauer.  solid acid, aromas of green apple skin, starfruit, waxpaper (that petrol nose that often comes with whites from that part of the world).  This paired very well with the cheeses, especially the aged Irish cheddar, and with the paté.  A solid wine to start with, 84 points

Mas de la Rouvière 2003 from Bandol.  Right off the bat the smell of this mostly Mourvèdre wine had me intrigued; stinky earthy raspberries and strawberries, a green or vegetal aroma lingering somewhere beneath the dank earth and ripe fruit.  Big tannins surprised me, but the wine's taste and body sort of seemed a let down after the crazy aromas that had pulled me in first.  A B wine (86 or so).

The gem of the night was the 2005 Ferrer Bobet from the Priorat region of Spain, a 53% Carignane, 35% Grenache, 7% Syrah, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon blend.  This fruity candy smelling wine has great balance and a sweaty minerality that create a complexity of flavors.  A truly balanced, tasty wine.  90 points