EAST COAST PALATE

This is the kind of Merlot that might incite some scoffing from Merlot-haters.  It has the fruit bomb characteristics, the lack of body or depth, the finish that is measured in milliseconds... but at the end of the day it tastes good, candy good.
There are cherry and blueberry notes mixed with vanilla and cedar.  It smells like a typical new-world style wine: lush and fruity.  While there isn't anything complex about the wine, it did remind me of the scent of blueberry muffins baking in the oven, which is a very good aroma.  Overall it's a low B wine, but not bad.  I have had a lot better Merlot from Washington state... Five Star, Tamarack, Pedestal, Revelry... there are so many; it is definitely a region where this varietal thrives. 
If you don't like the fruit dominating your wine, then steer clear of this one.  But if you like inexpensive yummy beverages with 13.5% alcohol content, then give this wine a shot.

Recently, Dawn - the publisher of City Living magazine - recommended that I stop in and visit a brand new store down in the Adams Morgan area.  A.M. Wine Shoppe has a beautiful display of wine lining an entire wall.  When I walked in there were a few bottle open, waiting to be tried.  They had cheese and salami samples as well.  There wasn't a huge amount of different wine (while there, I heard someone come in and ask for Virginia wine, and there is none there), but what they lack in extensive selection, they make up for with their service.
Okay, the wine: 
2008 Mader Pinot Blanc... The nose on this Alsatian white wine is fresh, loaded with citrus and a sweet honeydew aroma.  I picked up a slight nasal burn from the alcohol, and there's a floral component layered into the fruity aromas.
If you like sorbet, or Starburst, or just good crisp wine that wakes up your tongue, this is a wine for you.  It is light, but full of flavor, with the lemonpeel leading the way.  The tartness stretches out the finish so that if you take a sip and walk away from your glass, you will honestly carry the flavor in your mouth for a few minutes.
This is a B+ wine for $14 (I've seen it at Rodman's, as well).  It would balance out a strong cheese or cream sauce, or work as a perfect compliment to a fruit salad.
2007 JK Estates Cabernet Sauvignon... Krishna, thank you for this wine.  No, I'm not converting to any religion, Krishna is the guy who gave me this California Cab to try out.  It is a $15 bottle, hailing from an Estate winery in Lodi.  The aromas are what made this wine stand out so much for me, while the body is rather light weight.
This bouquet is full of the beautiful weirdness that gets me excited about wine: pickled okra?  check.  capers?  check.  Imagine you have a dish of blackberry preserves, and then somebody reaching over drops a bit of green pepper, cippolini onions, and pickle juice into the mix.  Sound delicious?  The greenness of this overall aromatic blend may be a turnoff for some, but the onion and green pepper are known to make cameos when it comes to Cabernet.
Despite the olfactary circus going on, the wine is light in tannin, feels fresh and smooth in the mouth, and for me gets a solid 85. 

You can see the deep color extracted from this Sicilian grape.  The Nero d'Avola varietal thrives in the hot, dry climate of the end of Italy's boot.  Its flavors attain an intense level of concentration, yet this wine has some fresh, floral element that makes it seem lighter on the palate.
The berry aromas are strong, complimenty by some musty and floral notes.  In the mouth this wine doesn't feel huge, with tannins tearing apart the cheeks and gums, but it definitely has substance.  There is a hint of spiciness, too, which evoked a peppery strawberry image for me. 
I like this wine enough to give it a solid B, but priced in the upper teens it may be too much buck and not enough bang (I got it up at the Wine Source in Baltimore for $15).
If you haven't tasted a wine made from this native southern Italian grape, it is worth the trip to your local wine shop.

Every Saturday there are tastings at Chevy Chase Wine & Spirits from two to five.  This is the the easiest way to learn about new wines and put your palate to practice...
From right to left (light to bigger) in the picture here are four wines that offer different styles, smells, and flavors:


2008 Ferrari Carano Fumé Blanc:  This is 100% Sauvignon Blanc, full of zestiness, with key flavors like lemon and grapefruit.  About 1/3 of the wine was put into barrels to age, to soften some of the acidic sharpness, then blended back with the rest that stayed in stainless tanks.  The end result is a fresh Sauvignon Blanc that still has good acidity, yet comes at the palate in a more mellow way.  This normally costs $17, but was on sale for just under $13.

2006 Merryvale Starmont Chardonnay:   Chardonnay is a grape that can be vinified in a number of ways, a fact which splits Chardonnay drinkers into two schools: those that dig oak, and those that don't.
This bottle delivers a blend of half barrel-fermented and half stainless-steel-ferments grapes, resulting in a wine that still has nice body and a beautiful golden color, but is smells more of fresh fruit than it does of butter and barrels.  There are some lovely citrus, pear, apple, and even pineapple aromas here.  For someone like me (I tend to steer clear of California Chardonnay) this is a nice medium between the two ends of the Chardonnay spectrum. 

2007 Erath Pinot Noir:  For those that haven't tried Oregon Pinot Noir, you are missing out.  This wine shows just a glimpse of the whole world of Pinot that is growing continually in Oregon's Willamette Valley. 
This wine is light in body, and color.  It has earthy, leathery smells that meld well with a soft cherry aroma.  The wine is silky smooth in your mouth and, though its finish isn't big, it leaves a spicy aftertaste.  For pairing wine with Thai food or salmon, this would be perfect.

2007 Planeta Segreta:  A Sicilian blend consisting of mainly Nero d'Avola, this wine has body, lush fruit aromas, crisp acidity, and great overall balance.  There is Syrah, Merlot, and a touch of Cab. Franc in the blend.  The pruney, blackberry aromas are strong on the nose, with undertones of cranberry and rocks.  The minerality makes a huge play once the wine coats your mouth; it has substance, an almost chalky viscosity that makes you take this wine seriously.  This bottle could compliment so many types of food, from cheese to chicken, pizza to prime rib. 

Question for today:  Do you go out to shop where you know you can taste wines?  If not, you're neglecting your palate-maintenance.  If so, where do you go, and why?

This is a very good bottle of wine for $10.50.  I picked it up in Cleveland Park last weekend and now as I try it I want to go back and pick up some more. 
The blackberry aroma is the main factor in the olfactory department.  There is also a cool, stoney smell and a spicy, perfumy scent that reminds me pot pourri.  I might even call the nose on this wine "mushroomy."
Anyhow, it drinks very smooth.  The tannins are soft (especially after it's aerated a bit).  The minerality and acidity give it a very fresh quality that makes this wine stand up very well to food or aging.  I would love to taste this paired with pork... maybe with a side of cous cous filled with cranberries, raisins and apples.  This bottle is a fantasic value, a B+ for not a lot of money... you need to try this wine.
Has January really almost come and gone?  I'm very excited about this year.  There are many ideas swirling around in my head about the first East Coast Palate hosted events...maybe some wine pairing dinners or scavenger wine hunts.  How does that sound?  If I don't hear from anyone, then these amazing celebrations of life and wine can't take place.  Give me feedback!

This bottle came into my life thanks to my friend and neighbor - Carolyn - who shares some of my enthusiasm for Spanish vino tinto.  This Crianza was aged 14 months in American oak and consists of a blend of Tempranillo (85%), Garnacha (5%), Graciano (5%), and Mazuelo (5%).
The nose is hearty and full of oak, with a whiff of black cherries lurking just below the woodsy aromas.  The flavor profile follows suit; this wine is tannic and spicy.  The oak is smelled and then felt, but on the palate it isn't so dominant.  After it was opened for a half an hour the cherry emerged a bit and melded well with that leathery, saddle/baseball mitt smell that I love so much in many Riojan wines.
This wine would go better with food, but it worked well with a movie, too.  It came from the Wine Source up in north Baltimore, where it costs $13.59.  For me it's a solid B to B+, however some people won't like it due to the oaky component.

This bottle delivers a well made 100% Monastrell  (a.k.a. Mourvèdre) that is soft and elegant.  I picked this up a few days ago a Circle Wine in Chevy Chase for $18.  Really I had to get a wine from the Murcía region of Spain in honor of my friend Do's birthday.  This just so happens to be one of her favorites.
This wine's color is a rich, regal hue of purple.  The nose is dominated by earthy and stoney scents.  When I sniffed it first it reminded me of being in a cellar or a used book store.  The berry and anise aromas it has are subtle and quite inviting, too.
In the mouth this wine is fresh.  The minerality picked up on the nose definitely carries over into the flavor profile.  There's a hint of dark chocolate and berry, and plenty of acidity.  I've tried some Monastrells or Mourvèdres with more body and tannin (especially some of the French wines from the Bandol region), but I enjoy this bottle a lot.  For my palate it finds itself right on the B+/A- threshold.  If you're a fan of Côtes du Rhône wines, I think you would like this wine. 

This blend of Marsanne and Roussane has a color and an aroma rarely found in most white wines.  Its hue is a dark gold with a tinge of orange.  The smells coming off the nose are slightly oxidized (like a Sherry smells), with other odors like sawdust, flowers, and perfume joining the unique bouquet.
There is a nice acidic kick to this wine, and a woodsy, almost burnt taste that creates a slightly bitter, floral finish.  This wine isn't for everyone, but I think that for those of you looking to try new things, this bottle from the Robert Katcher selection will surely deliver some novel flavors and aromas.  I'd rate this wine a solid B, and it is a decent value for the $11  I spent at the Montgomery County liquor store.

This is a Riesing with no perceived sweetness, except maybe aromatically.  For $13, this bottle offers a wine that is crystal clear, even pretty to look at.  It has a zesty lemon scent, a bit of pear, some fresh flowers, and a touch of that alcoholic sting on the nose.  And once past the lips it delivers a lush onset, followed by a crescendo-like acidic lift.  The amount of body surprised me here.  This is a wine that can go solo or with some rich cream-sauce-smothered seafood.  I like this wine a lot and give it an A- in that 90-9 point range. 
Question of Riesling preference:  Which does it for you more the sweet or the dry?  What are some of your favorite Rieslings?

The second red we opened was a 2000 Château Mondorion Grand Cru from St. Emilion, France.  I actually chose this bottle because while I studied abroad in France, some friends and I took a road trip that led us through the town of St. Emilion, where wine has been produced for about 13 centuries. 
This wine was replete with funky odors that may be offputting for some, but behind the musty, barnyard stink there were hints of chocolate, plums, and cherries that emerged more as we let it breath.  One observation around the table was very fitting: the wine smelled like carnations, sort of stinky, but in a good way...
The wine has a solid structure, a good balance of acids and tannins, and a chalky texture that adds to the feel of the wine in your mouth.  This was a B+ kind of wine, completely overshadowed by the excitement created by the Muga Reserva.  
This wine was also on special, costing only about $10 more than the retail price for a bottle.  I'm excited about the basement wine scene at Mrs. K's.  They have a half-price happy hour deal from 5 to 7 on wines by the glass, their food and wine menus both offer some fantastic flavors, and there is something about the cellar's ambiance that makes one forget that downtown Silver Spring is only a minute away.  The next time I want to be transported a European cellar, I'll go to Mrs. K's basement.
Oh yeah, for dessert that evening we also enjoyed a bottle of 1985 Burgundy and a bottle of Moët & Chandon Impérial.  I won't even score those bottles.  They were simply a decadent icing on my birthday party's cake.