Grilled Chicken Wrapped in Shiso

One of my favorite yakitori. The shiso adds a layer of herbal flavors, perfectly complimented by a crisp, mineral, citrusy white Burgundy, like the 2008 Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Chenevottes, Domaine Henri Prudhon & Fils.

Burgundy and Renkon Chips

Fries are so yesterday. Try renkon chips with your Red Burgundy or Pinot. Yum.

1990 Red Burgundies are drinking so good right now. I wouldn't hesitate opening any. The flavors are deliciously fresh, still rich and dark, yet the texture has softened into a voluptuous sexiness. Like this awesome 1990 Beaune Marconnets Premier Cru of Bouchard Pere et Fils. Bought this only for $20.99 on release. You'd probably pay double for the CURRENT release of this.

To find equivalent quality Burgundy for under $30 these days you have to check out producers the likes of Didier Montchovet, with his 2010 Hautes Cotes de Beaune, an overachiever made from vines up to 50 years-old planted a few kilometers from Pommard.

Post-Brunello-Tasting Dinner at Credo SF

As often happens after our tasting events, I invite folks to join me for a convivial dinner at a fun restaurant that would hopefully allow us to open more bottles. Tastings are great for sharpening one's tasting skills and for intellectual stimulation, but wine is best enjoyed on the dinner table, preferably with good conversation.

And so that's what happened the other Friday after our Brunello tasting. A small group headed to Credo in San Francisco, an interesting Italian restaurant serving modern, trattoria-style food in a setting surrounded by walls printed with quotes from famous people. Clearly, the quotes are intended as conversation pieces but they also look like neat graffiti-decor. Frankly, I couldn't think of a better setting for post-Italian-tasting dinner.

One of my favorites on the menu is the pork meatball app, a really tasty polpette in a great sauce.

Because it's not something I always see, I ordered the tortellini with English peas and mushroom. Very good, balanced, creamy flavors that went well with the red wine.

The salad--tuna conserva--and mains--roast half-chicken--we ordered turned out to be delicious as well. Yet, hands down, the winner on the menu that had me thinking of returning asap was the house-made torrone ice cream of pistacchio and frozen honey. This was chunky and rich. Pistacchio happens to be my favorite that's why I ordered it, but my wife gobbled almost the entire serving after I offered her a taste. And so now I'm left with a craving. I need to return to Credo soon.

Credo
360 Pine Street (Montgomery)
San Francisco, CA 94104

Cappellano's Barolo

"Vino secondo natura (wine by nature)" Teobaldo Cappellano

If you love Barolo and you run into some from Cappellano, consider yourself fortunate. Cappellano's magnificent Baroli are exceedingly rare, only about 800 cases or so are produced in a year, and almost immediately snapped up by the cultish following of this venerable estate.

The late Teobaldo Cappellano passed away in February 2009 and since then his family's legendary Barolo estate has been run by his son, Augusto. I am pleased to offer the last two vintages of Cappellano Barolo before Teobaldo died: 2007 and 2008 vintages. I tasted both wines again just a few days ago. The 2007 sweeter and velvety, irresistible to drink even now, while the 2008, brooding and structured, its tannins coating my mouth.

Cappellano has held to traditional practices for over a century and its natural winemaking approach had been championed by Teobaldo Cappellano long before the natural winemaking trend became popular in France and the rest of the world. He deemed each vintage great and unique and hated his wines to be scored by wine critics.

Cappellano is in Serralunga d'Alba in the Gabutti cru producing uncompromising, traditional Barolo since 1870. The Barolo Rupestris comes from vines planted in the 1940s grafted on American roostock. Vinified in natural yeasts then aged for over four years in botti, or large casks. It is a beautiful Barolo of superb depth, richness, and length. Comparable in quality to some of the best Baroli but more reasonably priced. Don't miss these rare offerings!


Barolo DOCG Otin Fiorin Rupestris, Cappellano 2007 $82.00 (Click to buy!) 


Barolo DOCG Otin Florin Rupestris, Cappellano 2008 $84.00 (Click to buy!)

Toast Mother's Day with One of the Finest Grower-Producer Champagnes

Based in Avize is one of the greatest grower-producers in Champagne, Agrapart & Fils. I visited them several years ago and saw for myself what they do: truly natural and artisanal winemaking, utilizing basic, traditional farming and winemaking implements.

The Champagnes are produced without artifice:

• The domaine-owned vineyards are predominantly Grand Cru in the area of Avize
• The vineyards are farmed organically and plowed.
• Harvesting is done at optimal ripeness.
• The wine is barrel-fermented using wholly indigenous yeasts.
• Extended bottle aging on the lees.
• Low dosage.

The magnificient Les 7 Crus Champagne is from 85% Grand Cru vineyards and the other 15% all Premier Cru. The quality is truly overachieving, rivaling the quality of Champagnes that are much more expensive. One of the great buys in naturally-crafted, grower-producer Champagnes today.

Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Les 7 Crus, Agrapart & Fils $35.00 (Click to buy!)
From one of the top grower-producers based in Avize, Agrapart makes this rich, distinctive Champagne, mostly from grand cru vineyards. Quite dry and intense on the palate, with stunning mouth presence and persistence on the finish. Unquestionably, one of the best values you'll find in high quality Champagnes.

Southern Rhônes À La Château Rayas

Emmanuel Reynaud took over Chateau Rayas in 1997 after his uncle, legendary vigneron Jacques Reynaud passed away. But well before that, starting in 1989, Emmanuel was already doing much of the work alongside his uncle at Rayas, and he was also operating his own estate, Chateau des Tours in Vacqueyras (just east of Chateauneuf du Pape), which passed on to him after his father died.

Thus, for the past 15 years Emmanuel Reynaud has been in charge of both Chateau Rayas and Chateau des Tours. The viticulture and winemaking approach of both estates are the same, with Reynaud applying the technique and philosophy he learned from his uncle. In both estates Grenache dominates, with vines ranging from 30 to over 50 years old that are farmed organically. As with his uncle, grapes are harvested only when they are fully mature, no matter what. "That is the game we've always played in the family: we want ripe fruit, and we'll pick late if necessary," Emmanuel says. "You must know how to take risks to win. You must be ready to lose."

Every year for the past ten years I taste the wines of both Chateau Rayas and Chateau des Tours together prior to release. The wines are always presented together. Last February was the most recent tasting, which included these two stunning, newly released Chateau des Tours wines. The rest of the Chateau des Tours and the Chateau Rayas wines will be released later this fall.

I can't tell you enough of how wonderful these two wines are-they were two of my top favorites in the tasting, with the others being the Chateau Rayas wines-and how amazingly seamless their style to Chateau Rayas. Of course, Chateau Rayas wines cost hundreds of dollars, while the price of these two Chateau des Tours wines is not even close to that.


Vin de Pays de Vaucluse Rouge, Domaine des Tours-Chateau des Tours 2009 $21.00 (Click to buy!)
A spectacular wine that is outstanding in every way. Luscious ripe fruit backed by smooth tannins that glides on the palate. Aromatic cherries and garrigue scents. Beautifully balanced wine. A blend of mostly Grenache with some Cinsault, Counoise, Syrah, and Merlot farmed organically in estate vineyards. As in Chateau Rayas, each variety is vinified separately and aged in oak casks, with the blending or assemblage done before bottling.


Vacqueyras, Chateau des Tours 2006 $55.00 (Click to buy!)
This is being released presumably because it is the right time. Who's to argue? This is a phenomenal wine! The extended aging has integrated the flavors and appears to have achieved lovely finesse. Completely Rayas-like in every way, except for the price. The nose is seductive and complex with mingling scents of honeysuckle, cherry, and raspberries. The color is as light as Pinot Noir or Chambolle-Musigny. Pure, delicate Grenache flavors of light reds fruits, sweet spices, and a hint of smoke. Sexy and charming. The finish is long, and there the rich tannins make their presence known as the fruit recedes gradually. A blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah from organically farmed vines that are 30 to over 50 years-old. Each variety is vinified separately and aged in oak casks, with the assemblage done before bottling.

At The New Hutong SF: Food and Graffiti Art Vie for Attention

Hutong in San Francisco's Cow Hollow district is a terrific restaurant. There is only one problem: it opened in the wrong place. The very concept of "hutong"--gritty, crowded alleyways in old Beijing--goes against the vibe in the safe, affluent, Tommy Bahama chic of Union Street. I don't think it would even occur to my 22 year-old nephew, who eagerly joined me in one of my two trips, to wander into this neighborhood had it not been for Hutong. Not since Pane e Vino's heyday, maybe 15 years ago, have I found a reason to come to Union Street. Kudos to Hutong for breaking my Union Street MIA streak.

Hutong's ownership and crew were bold to kill the popular Betelnut after an 18-year run and replace it with an edgy, graffiti-inspired look. Unless you've been under a rock for the past ten years, you would find the food familiar--the cuisine succeeds in being tasty but doesn't really break new ground, as it consists of takes on popular Asian dishes refreshed and refined in hip small plate presentations. What steals the show is the graffiti decor that exudes a shadowy, gritty vibe. If Hutong's look from the signage to the interior offends the genteel Union Street crowd, then the restaurant has hit the mark. A particular treat are the paintings by Banksy that adorn the walls here, here and here.

Cutting-edge cocktail selections are de rigueur in the city these days so Hutong's cocktails are up to speed in being exotic and fun--a lay-up given the hutong theme. But what delighted me was the cocktails paired well with the food, though I'm not sure if this was by design or purely accidental. For one, the Fu Dog--Stoli vodka, St. Germain liqueur, Maraschino liqueur, grapefruit, egg white--was a fruity, refreshing start, making my palate water before I started drinking wine. On another visit I tried the ginger flavored Beijing Mule--Buffalo Trace Bourbon, ginger, lime, ginger beer--which pairs as good as any sparkling wine or white wine with the spicy dishes. Unless I missed it, what I'd like to see on the drinks menu are good shochu (soju) and sake offerings, perhaps even exotic Asian spirits like Maotai and baijiu--that would complete the hutong picture.

I brought a wine that I haven't had in a while, Andre Ostertag's 2005 Alsace Pinot Noir "Fronholz. Andre Ostertag makes serious Alsace Pinot Noir as he studied winemaking in Beaune and trained with Dominique Lafon. Enjoying an Alsace Pinot Noir doesn't happen often, as few are made and it's not a wine one thinks of drinking from Alsace, but opening one with some age is an even rarer treat. This '05 Fronholz was an eye-opener, proof that Alsace Pinot Noir can age beautifully, gaining finesse after several years. I was reminded of a Chassagne rouge. It is drinking fresh and youthful, with a lovely concentration; its soft, dark, earthy fruit flavors proving versatile with every dish.

On another visit I brought a white Burgundy, the 2007 Philippe Colin Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Clos Saint Jean. The mineral, almost Chablis-like sharpness of this Chassagne was fantastic with many of the the dishes, especially the Raw seafood section of the menu. We gulped down the bottle well before we finished eating everything.

The stone pot noodles is mixed by the server tableside and is one of my favorites on the menu.

A dish that is reminiscent of sisig is the oxtail hotpot. What a tasty concoction! Very much in the street food, hutong spirit.


Hutong

2030 Union Street
San Francisco, CA 94123