The Place: The MUST

Downtown LA is a bit of a confusing place, identity-wise. Until recently, there wasn't much there (except the Lakers, and that's pretty big), but over the last few years and even through the worst of the recession, it seemed a new place was opening up every week. It's an off-putting juxtaposition with upmarket lofts just a block from Skid Row (really - we saw a gorgeous building while walking around, and the next block over was a row of tents, and they were not waiting for the new Twilight); however, there are some truly fun restaurants and bars that have popped up in the area. Just keep your wits about you, and there's some great places to discover.

Lovely Lady N and I dropped into The MUST (wallpaper above), a wine bar right by the downtown gallery district (and Skid Row) that opened this summer. Leave your wine snobbery behind; it's a fun place with the right after-work ambiance and an approachable, affordable list of wines by the glass, carafe, or bottle. Their beer selection is decent as well. The waitstaff is friendly and helpful, and the crowd was a mix of after-work and more laid-back patrons, mostly in 2s or 3s, engaged in lighthearted conversation while huddled close over their glasses.

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The MUST

118 W. 5th Street (at Spring)

Los Angeles

Tasted: 2007 Layer Cake Primitivo

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

In a pinch...

not as snazzy as sabering a champagne bottle, but something for the book of tricks:
Bottle uncorked with a shoe

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]"

Tasting Notes: Working Late @ Father's Office

I once told a cab driver to "step on it" (yes, it was seriously overdramatic) in order to make it to Father's Office before the kitchen closed on a Friday night. The Father's Office burger and sweet potato fries are an essential part of my life in southern California. After having tasted those piping hot, perfectly salted and just-crispy-enough taters, I now find myself in other bars begging them to bring out an order of sweet potato fries with garlic aioli, please please please, to no avail.

First and foremost, however, Father's Office is not a restaurant but a bar - someone is checking ID at all times, even at 1 pm on a Sunday. They have a vast, changing, and well-selected array of beers bottled and on-tap, but they also pour some good wines, with a fair representation of Santa Barbara producers. Should you be in Culver City or Santa Monica, definitely pop in, get some fries, and savor them once you've staked out a table (gets pretty competitive, especially at the smaller, original location in Santa Monica).

2006 Paige 23 Pinot Noir San Luis Obispo
Described in the tasting notes as having flavors of plum, cherry, and smoky raspberry, this wine was a full and fun pinot noir that had hit you pretty hard in the nose. It was soft and creamy on the palate. Though I can't say I'd call it smoky raspberry, I see the inspiration; the Paige was a full of those dark, fruity flavors and actually had a soft finish.

2006 Poderi dal Nespoli Sangiovese di Romagna
I was ready for something bigger, and this sangiovese fit the bill. It was still an easy accompaniment for some light conversation, but also had a bit of spice and tannins that complemented the heavy Indian flavors from my lamb skewers. Both good wines that I'd come back to.

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Father's Office
1018 Montana Ave
Santa Monica, CA
(kitchen closes 11pm Thurs - Sat,

sweet noble rot

How sweet it is to be back at home. After a long few weeks hopping about, it was great to come back to something familiar. As soon as I dropped my bags in the doorway, I went exploring for a post-travel snack in my nearly emptied refrigerator. Passing on stale pita and plain yogurt, I was excited to find a tupperware full of blueberries. On opening the lid, however, I was only fortunate enough to discover my free "gift-with-purchase" had blossomed - a nice, white fuzz coating my overly ripe snack.

Rotting, moldy things are typically to be avoided, e.g. berries, leftovers, roadkill. This got me thinking, however, as I turned to the next closest thing (my wine rack). Noble rot is key to the syrupy sweetness that makes the popular (and pricey) dessert wines of Sauternes and Hungary so prized. I really had no idea of how noble rot works or its role in the vinification process, so I took a break from tasting anything this weekend (thanks a lot, first cold of the season) and dug around in my wine encyclopedia. And online. After all, if it's on the internet, it must be true.

Officially known as botrytis cinerea, noble rot or pourriture noble, is a fungal growth that appears on grapes late in harvest season and increases the alcoholic potential while concentrating the sugary juice. Unlike the standard fuzzy stuff that grows on food, grape growers actually wait and hope and keep their fingers crossed that the stuff will show. As with other fungi, it usually appears later in the harvest season when there is some moisture in the air to provide a friendly growing environment. The climate around Sauternes is ideal for our friend botrytis, whose spores are also indigenous to the region - maybe why Sauternes is the source of such legendary wines.

What happens as the botrytis spores grow is key to the concentrated sweetness and high alcohol content that define these wines. The spores feed off of the grape's extra moisture, concentrating the remaining juice into a thick and sugary mix. Because botrytized grapes are typically harvested one-by-one, the making of wine from these harvests is highly labor intensive. Once the grapes are harvested and used to make wine, the sugar content promotes alcohol creation in the fermentation process. The results are the heavenly (yes, really) Sauternes and aszu wines, as well as some lesser known German and Italian styles.

I won't get into detail on these wines now, but I do suddenly have a craving for a glass and some accompanying dessert...

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Tasted: Chateau Rieussec
To Taste: Chateau d'Yquem (should you be so lucky)

How Noble Rot Produces Sweet Wine
Sauternes Vintage Chart
Profile on Chateau d'Yquem
Hungary Returns to a Sweet Past

photo: Hans Voorn via flickr

Tasting Notes: 2006 Melville Sta. Rita Hills Syrah, "Donna's"

This particular bottle has been sitting on my wine rack for at least 6 months, and though it's been ready to drink, I hadn't really had a reason to pull the cork. Melville is a charming, pretty winery located off of 246 in Lompoc, up in the Santa Ynez area by Santa Barbara. I had to dig out my fuzzy, scratched out tasting notes to remember my first impressions. Drinking wine is often contextually associated in my memory, and having a glass outdoors tonight while listening to old jazz and blues highlighted different characteristics from when I first tasted it in Melville's sunny and bustling tasting room, with The Pointer Sisters' "Fire" piped in on the radio (see, I told you, contextual).

The wine is a powerful blend of sweet, dark fruit and a lingering, pop-rock-like pepper finish that bursts across your taste buds. In the glass, it is a rich and inky, deep purple color. At first, I tasted more of blackberries & cassis, but as the wine had more time to sit, the acidity softened out somewhat and I tasted more of the earthy undertones mixed in with the fully expressed fruit flavors. Melville's tasting notes suggest it might be "sinister," I'd almost call it "lascivious;" the creaminess seduces the palate before that kicky finish teases you to take another sip - I'd even say the peppery borders on overwhelming, so this is not a wine for the faint-hearted. Certainly a delicious syrah with a shamelessly bold personality. Probably good to drink now and for another two years, at least. Enjoy.

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Tasted: 2006 Melville Syrah "Donna's"