Tasting Notes: Chappellet 2007 Mountain Cuvee

Choosing wine for a party of strangers is never an easy task, but with helpful guidance from our waiter (Joseph the musician), we picked out this gem from BOA W. Hollywood's wine list. This mostly Cabernet / Merlot blend was a crowd pleaser and a surprising wine; also, a great value from a Napa-heavy wine list with some heavy hitters (and fairly reasonable mark-up, at least on this wine).

Chappellet is a Napa winery growing in Pritchard Hill, making large, Bordeaux-style wines of the type we tasted tonight. The Mountain Cuvee is a heavy, juicy wine that is sweet around the edges, though the lighter berry flavors don't take away from its darker notes. It went perfectly with the rich sauces, sides, and red meat dishes being shared at the table. What was unique - described by one of our dinner companions as "offbeat" - was a eucalyptus / minty finish (as described by Joseph). While I haven't played koala recently, I absolutely knew what he meant after my first taste, and wholly enjoyed the effect. I would describe it as a slightly woodsy-herbal finish that leaves your palate feeling dry but refreshed. For me, this twist distinguished the wine from the other tried and true Bordeaux and Meritage wines that are so popular at these big, steak dinners.

At $29 off of the winery's online shop, I'd call it a great value; some other searching turned up alleged $25 price tags.

A brief side note: My one complaint was that the wine list stated a 2006 Chappellet; the manager explained that they only carried 2007, and their wine list must not have been updated. Clearly enjoyed the wine anyhow, and the year was not an issue in this particular case, but would have appreciated a heads-up upfront. Word to the wise, however, to remember to double check the label, esp if it is a situation in which the vintage year makes a difference.

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BOA
9200 Sunset Blvd
West Hollywood

Tasted: Chappellet 2007 Mountain Cuvee (Meritage)
Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot / Malbec / Cabernet Franc / Petit Verdot

Tasting Notes: 2005 Kalyra MC2 Santa Ynez Valley

Finally had my first proper wine night in the new apartment on the beach, and a long overdue catch-up with LL was more than enough reason to pull the cork on this wine that has been sitting on the rack for a couple months now.  The science nerd in me was drawn to the bottle by the black and white Hubble telescope image of the universe, but the wine nerd in me had to bring it home because of the wine's smooth drinkability.

Yes, Kalyra was a Sideways winery, but it is a Santa Ynez gem and favorite among many of my other wine-drinking friends in the Southland. The winery was started by an Australian who made his way over to Santa Barbara, and they have made some pretty interesting wines that are imbued with the label's offbeat spirit. MC2 is a Merlot blend, mixed with some Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc in the Bordeaux style.

These are not wines that will shock your senses, but rather more subtle in their impressiveness. MC2 is at first a soft red that opens up into a creamy, almost velvety wine. The dominant Merlot lends it a fruity sweetness (as far as reds go), but it is a fairly deep wine with a good balance of light tannins. The dark fruit flavors nicely complemented our garlicky hummus snacks, with a bit of chocolate raspberry when it sits full in the mouth. A good value, and an interesting twist on a fairly standard blend.

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Kalyra Winery
343 N. Refugio Rd.
Santa Ynez
(805) 693-8864

Label Notes: "Moving at 5 miles per second The Hubble Space Telescope has orbited the Earth 100,000 times (and counting) traveling over 4.8 Billion Kilometers since being put in Space 18 years ago. [sic]"