Madrid 36C at 7:12pm

I think the title says it all.  Actually, missing one key bit...  Enjoying a glass of Doniene 2011 Txakolina.  You ask, what is that?  I answer, traditional white wine from the Basque region.  Yes, the same folks who brought you the separatist movement of ETA and more importantly the gastronomic capital of Spain (think Arzak).  Anyway, I have already digressed!

I writing today for a couple of reasons.  First and foremost, because I owe you about two plus years of blogs so figured I would catch-up.  Secondly, because we have been living in Madrid for over a year now so it's about time we started telling you a little about this part of the world (through wine, beer, and food goggles of course).  Oh yeah, today I had earmarked as a non-drinking day.  Then I went for a nice long swim and a very hot/dry walk back home.  So I drink.  Oh well, will try another day to go alcohol free (but not likely until September).  And yet again I have digressed...

Let's keep it very local for now.  Madrid is the capital city of Spain.  Right in smack in the center of the country where I think you can get to Lisbon, Portugal faster by car than you can Barcelona.  It is a great town.  I would highly recommend a visit.  Good food scene, plenty of juice, artisanal brew, vibrant nightlife, and strong in the arts.  An added bonus if you have kids is that this is a very kid friendly city.

So today's blog will be brief as I just want to point out some good wine & beer shops, restaurants, and a few snapshots of wines for reference.  We will come back to you with blogs from actual wineries.  In fact, we tried to visit one south of Madrid but during the summer they are only open M-F from 10am-3pm (the heat)...

Wine and Beer Shops

If in Madrid and in a pinch for wines (plus wanting to taste a few while shopping), then these are our top 3 wine shops:

http://www.lavinia.es/es

This is a trendy wine shop with a huge selection of wines from all over Spain and the world.  It is located in the high-end shopping area of town but prices are reasonable.  They usually have 4 or 5 wine stewards working the floors who are very knowledgable.  Also, they have a bar, dining room (would recommend for lunch), and pay by the pour fountains to sample all sorts of good stuff.

http://www.lacartadevinos.com/

These guys are more exclusive to Spanish wines but have a handful of others to offer.  In fact, I picked up a really nice white burgundy (Francois Antoine Jobard Bourgogne Blanc Burgundy) from the Mersault region for about 20 euros a couple of weeks ago  Also, you can pay by the pour.  Both of these guys deliver to the house for a small fee (unless you buy in quantity) and they are located in easy to get to areas.

http://www.reservaycata.com/

This was a new discovery thanks to our friend Alirio.  A mom and pop shop which is what we love.  An ecclectic collection of wines.  A simple bar to taste wines.  Ezequiel was a great host as he poured all sorts of good juice.  In fact, we were treated to pre-release wines with no labels to speak of.  That was really cool.  He makes wine as well.  Current project is a Bobal (Bobal Icon - http://www.reservaycata.com/bobal-icon-2011.html)  from 80-year old vines.  An easy drinking second bottle of wine and for the price I would say the QPR is high.  Kara may disagree but we are talking 6.50 euro.  Trust me, if you come to visit, I may pour a nice bottle to start but you will have the Icon to finish :)  Anyway, very excited about this new find and will probably lean on Ezequiel as I build the local cellar.

Now let's talk beer.  Two must do's if you are a beer fanatic and if you are not then do it anyway.  It is a good cultural experience.

http://fabricamaravillas.com/

A must go to!  I said that...  Great beer made in Madrid.  Fun atmosphere.  Fun neighborhood.  A Frenchman runs this joint.  Who would have known?  Nuff Said!

https://www.facebook.com/quebuenapinta

Need beer?  I mean need good damn beer from Spain, Scotland, US, Denmark, Belgium, etc...  Want to have a pint while thinking it over in a cool little local neighborhood market a stones throw from the action?  Nuff said!  Ok, have to say more.  I shop here every two weeks or so.  One of my favorite world wide IPAs (from Spain) only found here (picture below).

Dagny loved the label (other side - sorry no pic)
I bought one just to see...
Who would have known...
My kid is a savant...

Restaurants

Now we come to food part of this blog...  A handful of restaurants that you must add to the list.  A good wine list was the starting point (oops... tequila as well)!

http://www.ponceletcheesebar.es/ - Need I say more?  Ok, they also have a cheese shop which we frequent.

http://www.garciadelanavarra.com/ - Two things to point out.  First, recommended by our French friends.  Second, awesome wines and great prices.  Think about it!

http://www.lagabinoteca.es/ - Fushion meets tapas with a fun atmosphere.  Oh yeah, the mojitos.  Nuff said!

http://www.puntomx.es/ - Need a margarita?  Need damn good mexican?  Need to overpay?  :(  Well the food was awesome.  And the margaritas...  They will give Rio Grande's in Colorado three margarita rule a runs for its money...

http://www.99sushibar.com/ - Not the Michelin star sushi joint in Madrid but who cares.  Best sushi to date.  Prices good.  Great wine list.

http://restaurantearce.com/ - Would you like land, sea, or air?  Stop here.  Do not past go!  The best wine list yet at retail prices (from release not current).

There are others but these stand out to us right now.

Pictures of Spanish Wines

Just a few morsels for now.

Priorat.
Yum Yum.
Thank You Arce for 1999 prices!

Is Peter Sisseck
the next Michele Roland
or Paul Hobbs?

We will get to visit the winery!

Mencia.  Yummy.

Moscatel from Malaga.
Really Yummy. 

Protos in Ribera del Duero
Amazing architecture not just in Rioja
Wines...  Not so yummy :(

What's Next?

We head to Carcassone for two weeks of holiday.  Stay tuned but Limoux here we come!!!

Btw - If you are wondering about the Txakolina.  Empty!!!

The Loki Experiment - Circa 2008 to Present Day

And we are back!  Added Ryker to the family on May 7th 2013 but Dagny has insisted that the blog not be renamed :)

Now let's chat about the Loki Experiment now in its 6th year...

This is LOKI

The first 4 releases (in order: Syrah, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Chardonnay)

The Background:

Back in early 2008 our close friend Charlie discovered this nifty little outfit called Crushpad (CPAD - RIP circa June 2012).  As it sounds, CPAD was a custom crush business which catered to wine lovers and winemakers.  At the time, CPAD was operating out of a huge warehouse space in the Dogpatch neighborhood of San Francisco.  The lure of making urban wine drew a tremendous amount of locals (us included).  The reality was a little bit different.  They had a great vision but execution and the timing of the financial crisis got in the way.  The idea is not new and has sticking power.

What/Who is Loki?

Loki is the Norse god of mischief.  But our lore is that once upon a time Charlie wanted to name a dog Loki but then he saw a dog on Letterman named Loki doing stupid animal tricks and decided he just couldn't do it.  Turns out he has yet to get a dog.  So really who cares...  Actually, it is a fitting description of what this experiment has been about to date.  Plain old fun!  Yes, some sweat and possibly a few tears too!  There are great stories to tell about our adventures to date but for now I prefer to just tell you a little bit about what/who we are...

The Concept:

In brief, you purchase a barrel(s) of wine from a catalog that covers some of the prime vineyards and varietals from California.  Once you pony up your thousands for a barrel the next step is to build a wine plan, follow the growing season and harvest, sort and pick your fruit, press your juice, rack your wine, transfer your wine to various barrels, design your wine label, play a mad scientist as you blend your wine, bottle your wine, and eventually drink the damn stuff.  During this time (typically 12-18 months) you go through many emotions.  Excitement at the thought of producing the next Parker 100 point 'garage' cult wine, frustration because CPAD talked a good game but then missed some basic steps on your wine plan, curiosity and concern that perhaps you spent way too much money after your first barrel sampling (i.e. your wine is on fire: www.ktvu.com/news/news/lingering-affect-of-2008-wildfires-impacting-mendo/nKhpp/), jubilation though tempered (see Zac) when you actually tasted the finished product 6 months after you bottled it, and tranquility because you may just re-up again even after all of this.  Turns out not only did we re-up, we went to Napa, then Sonoma, then back to San Francisco, we moved to Dogpatch Wine Works (www.dogpatchwineworks.com), we added partners, updated the label, sourced some fruit ourselves to double down, and added some whites to the mix.



Pictures for Dummies:  (oops for Beginners)

The Innoculation

The Fermentation

The Cold Soak

The Pump Over

The Press

The Free Run

The Foreman

Our wines:

2008 Alder Springs Syrah (Mendocino County)

Blend - 94% 08 Alder, 5% 09 Alder, 1% 09 Catie's Corner Viognier (Russian River Valley)

Alcohol - 14.5%
Bottled - December 2009 (San Francisco)
Notes - En fuego!  Yes, the fires resulted in some residual smoke taint.  As for our juice, thicker grape skins saved us to some extent along with 09 juice and a splash of Viognier.  

2009 Amber Ridge Pinot Noir (Sonoma County)

Blend - 97% 667 Clone, 3% Brousseau Field Blend (Monterey County)

Alcohol - 15% (we think a hair higher)
Bottled - October 2010 (Napa)
Notes - Adam Smith consulted and introduced the Brousseau which was a great call as it rounded the wine with some earthiness.  Blind tasted this with 2008 Kosta Browne Amber Ridge and 2007 Siduri Amber Ridge.  9 tasters resulted in a tie all around.  Not the same vintages, I know, but big names producing out of the same vineyard.  Pretty impressive!

2010 Grist Vineyard Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley AVA)

Blend - 94% Grist Zin, 3% White Hawk Syrah, 3% Eaglepoint Ranch Petite Sirah
Alcohol - 15.5% (probably a hair higher)
Bottled - February 2012 (Sonoma @ Sebastiani winery)
Notes - Last barrel with CPAD.  Adam Smith consulted on this too.  Alcohol readings at 15.85% pre-blend.

2011 Red Wine (Goodkin Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley AVA)

Blend - 43.5% Goodkin Merlot, 43.5% Goodkin Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% 2012 Coplan (Carneros, Napa) Merlot, 5% 2012 Tourmaline (Coombsville, Napa) Petite Verdot

Alcohol - est. 13.5% or less (yes, these are from California)
Bottled - 3 December 2013 (San Francisco)
Notes - Picked too early resulting in an austere wine which required The Mad Scientist (Dave Gifford) to help us create an easy to drink "second bottle of the night" red table wine.  After 3 hours of trying 8 different recipes we found a nice combination.  This easily qualifies as a nice red table wine.

2011 La Cruz Vineyard Chardonnay (Sonoma Coast)
Blend - 100% single vineyard fruit comprised of Clone 4 and Wente Clone 17
Alcohol - 14.0%
Bottled - June 2012 (San Francisco)
Notes - 100% Neutral french oak, barrel fermented.  We tasted three barrels of this juice, 100% new oak, stainless steel, and neutral.  We choose wisely.  Actually, this was excellent in the barrel to start and has not disappointed since.  What a great way to recover from the red table wine hurdle. Thanks to Dave and Kevin for the super ridiculous offer to adopt this barrel!

2012 Day Ranch Pinot Noir (Anderson Valley AVA)
Blend - 100% single vineyard fruit comprised of Clones 667 and 115.
Alcohol - est. 14.0%
Bottled - 4 November 2013 (San Francisco)
Notes - 80% 667 in neutral barrel, 10% 667 in new oak, and 10% 115 in new oak.  Mike had a great comment that our "667 was like the sun coming out, adding the oak was like the clouds rolling in, and the 115 allowed the sun to peek back through the clouds."  The man is a poet!

2013 Day Ranch Pinot Noir (Anderson Valley AVA) 
Bottled - est. November 2014

2013 Gianquinta Sauvignon Blanc (Russian River Valley)
Bottled - 23 April 2014 (San Francisco)

The Partners: (the glue... the syndicate... the foolish...)

Paco and Charlie - Co-Founders
Zac - #3 2009 (though played with the 2008 more than I did)
James - #4 2010
Mike - #5 2010

NOTE: Wives, significant others, and children are assumed (trying to stay out of trouble here)

Paco plying his trade (this is NOT a Loki wine!)

The Friends of Loki: (let's call it what is it...  seed funding of a sort)

The Spachman's
The Palmer's
Russ
Ryder
The Sventy's (NOTE: syndicate members for the 2010 and 2011 vintages before they moved to Michigan)
Bree
Handful of others along the way...

And What About The Loki Experiment Story?

Well, it has just begun.  I suppose for now, the real question is what are we planning to do with The Loki Experiment?  Stay Tuned!  But for certain share some of our wines with us when you have a chance.  We are cooking up some great juice and having fun doing it!

California (Dry Creek) - Pasterick 9.05.10

Still owe the blog Spain and France coverage from June. Will get back to it soon. But I did not want to pass up a very memorable visit in the Dry Creek area.

Some of you know that we are big Rhone wine enthusiasts. In California, we follow a handful of producers and now have a new one to the list and this may just be the best one...

Pasterick is a small husband and wife production with less than 600 cases annually of Northern Rhone inspired Syrah (a.k.a. Cote Rotie). They purchased the property which housed the Red Barn Winery (circa 1913). Less than 10 acres are planted and the current vintage is the 2005 Syrah. The Syrah is co-fermented with 3% Viognier, spends 3 years in barrels, and 1 year in a bottle before it is released. The 2006 is due out in November.

What makes this wine unique to us is the noticeable difference from the 'terroir'. That's right! The land. Dry Creek is better known for Zinfandel. Not to say you can't find other varietals. In fact, a lot of Pinot Noir is produced in the Russian River area. Most notable are the wineries/vineyards found on Westside and Eastside Roads which produce excellent Pinot Noirs. That aside our excitement was really about the land on the property. They have three primary blocks of Syrah on the land. Frankly, I don't remember the names (let's call them A, J, and S blocks). The property resides on the western side of West Dry Creek Road with the vines facing southeast. Two blocks (J and S) are to the north and one block (A) to the south and literally on top of the wine cave.

The Syrah is a cuvee (blend of the grapes from the north blocks). This wine is young and probably needs a year or two to round out a bit. However, it is very well structured wine, has plenty of legs, and good color. We were really impressed by this wine and the similarity to a Cote Rotie. The Viognier was noticeable as it provided some balance and freshness. And what we didn't get was a lot of alcohol or better yet a 'big' wine that you would expect from this type of climate (typically very hot and friendly to... Zinfandel).

This is a shot of the S block (lower of the two blocks on the north side).

Next up was the 2006 'Angle of Repose' Syrah. The Angle is exclusively from the A block which sits on top of the wine cave. The cave was built into the 120 million year old bedrock which provides a natural climate for cellaring and a great setup for hosting.

The A block has approximately 900 plants but yields are extremely low. For the 2006 Angle, only 44 cases were produced.

Now don't dismiss my 2005 Syrah review because it is a great wine. So good we bought it for our cellar. But the 2006 Angle Syrah... WOW! Yes. WOW! Gerry and Diane were celebrating their 34th wedding anniversary and we were lucky enough to catch them at the end of the day and in a celebratory mood. This wine was something else. It was vibrant, full bodied, well structured, contained and yet explosive. My jaw dropped! All I could think about was whether I willing to pay USD100 for this exceptional wine? The short answer was yes. Fortunately for us, it is priced at USD60. This is a huge steal. HUGE!!! Unfortunately, they don't sell it. In fact, it will only be available to wine club members and on a very limited allocation basis. So yes, I will get some but not enough to share. Sorry!

Pasterick also had a handful of library wines available so we picked up a bottle of the 2002 Syrah to have with dinner that night. In brief, this validated my thoughts about the 2005 Syrah (cellar for a couple of years and then enjoy over the next 7-10 years). A really nice wine.

A shot from the cave. Even Dagny had fun... And to think we held her hostage for over two hours!

Recap

Winery

Wines

2005 Syrah - QPR High, USD38, Cellar Worthy

2006 Syrah 'Angle of Repose' - QPR Very High, USD60, Cellar Worthy (not available for sale... bummer)

2002 Syrah - QPR High, USD44, Drinking well now, Cellar Worthy until 2015 or so

What we bought to drink

2002 Syrah - Yummy now and about 5 years (or so) left

2005 Syrah - Hold until 2012 and then start drinking over the next 10 years

Joined the wine club (a case a year)

Where to find it

At the winery and a few restaurants

Contacts

www.pasterickwine.com

gerry@pasterickwine.com

+1 707 433 4655

Chile (Miscellaneous) - READ ME

The end of the line in Chile. These shots are from Torres Del Paine national park in Patagonia. It was a half-day hike to get this spot. Well worth it.

Miscellaneous is not usually appealing to a reader but you should read this post. We cover off some of the odds and ends during our time in Chile.

Altair Sideral 2003. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and a touch of Sangiovese. Left bank style (80+% Cabernet). The Syrah and Sangiovese help bring it together. Nice full bodied wine with a moderate alcohol level. Opens up over an hour. It is at its peak but you can enjoy for another year or two. QPR High, USD23 (got 6 in March via winelibary but they sold out) Wow. Yummy. Must Buy (good luck)!

Concha y Toro Amelia 2005 Chardonnay. Pineapple in a Chardonnay? Vanilla in Chardonnay? Baked Pineapple. NO. Not right!

O. Fournier Chile (see Mendoza 2.09.09).

2008 Urban. Merlot, Carignan, Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon. Inexpensive and not good. Very Green. No structure.

2008 Centauri Blend. Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. Marginally better but I think the Carignan in both cases was picked early.

Ron Zacapa 23 Year Old Rum (Guatemala). Nice. Tightly controlled recipe and firmly regulated aging standards by the government.

Chile Recap

Wines

Due to the earthquake we just scratched the surface. Casablanca was very pleasant and we really enjoyed the wines from Kingston Family. Altair Sideral was by far the best value and it was a really exciting wine (still have 2 bottles left).

Beer

Great beer country. Better than Argentina. Big fan of the Kross Stout.

Food

Did I mention the Patagonian Lamb...

Chile (Casablanca) - Emiliana 3.16.10

Organic and Biodynamic (and not so much)

Great idea and an interesting venture from Chile. Emiliana did not start out as an organic or biodynamic venture. Founded in 1986 as Bodegas y Vinedos Santa Emiliana, they did not become a certified organic winery until 2001 (the first in Chile). Since then, I would say it has been a bit uphill. Bottom-line is that they have over 3800 acres in Chile so they produce a lot of wine. Currently, only one wine, the 'iconic' G is produced from a 100% biodynamic and organic vineyard. Unfortunately, this was not offered as part of the tasting.

They have Chilean labels (Adobe, Novas, Coyam, G) and US labels (Walnut Crest, Natura, Coyam, G). Start with the 'basico' wines and work you way to the 'premium' ones.

A disclaimer: The basico wines of Adobe/Walnut Crest are not organic but they are produced in an ISO 14001 certified winery (i.e. not so much).

The tasting room was modern with a nice outdoor patio which we opted for since it was the end of the day and Dagny needed some entertainment.

2009 Adobe Sauvignon Blanc Reserva (Not Organic) - crisp but green and grassy. A hint of lemon.

2008 Novas Chardonnay (Organic) - in 60% American oak (80% new) and 40% steel tank. High alcohol at 14.5%. Plenty of oak notes. Not much else.

Side Note: Novas in spanish = DON'T GO!

2008 Emiliana Pinot Noir Reserva Especial (Organic) - Good acidity but not complex. Fruity wine with a bit of earth. Perhaps styled towards old world but barreled in American oak (not new).

2007 Coyam (organic) - Wines Spectator 90 points. Not a Suro family 90 point wine. Perhaps an 85 point wine... Coyam means oak tree. 14 months in new oak (80% French and 20% American). Native yeasts. Fruit was from the Colchagua Valley not Casablanca. High tannins. Green. I tasted stems.

Recap

Winery

Emiliana Organic & Biodynamic Vineyards

Wines

2009 Adobe Sauvignon Blanc Reserva - QPR Low-Mid, USD11

2008 Novas Chardonnay - QPR Low, USD10

2008 Emiliana Pinot Noir Reserva Especial - QPR Mid, USD12.5

2007 Coyam Syrah/Carmenere/Cabernet Sauvignon - QPR Low-Mid, USD30

Wines we bought to drink

None

Where to find it in the US

None that I know of for the premium labels but the Walnut Crest label, at an average of USD5, I am sure will turn up at any big retailers.

Contacts

www.emiliana.cl

www.emilianausa.com