Fish Wine

We spent a memorable weekend in a snowy New York City.

After a long afternoon in the American Museum of Natural History, it was difficult hailing a cab in the driving snow along Central Park West, so we ducked into the subway. After a long cross-station walk, we caught the #7 shuttle from Times Square to Grand Central, arriving at dinner-time. A perfect night to eat at the Oyster Bar at Grand Central Station.

The menu is huge. The wine list is long. Decisions are difficult.

Actually, the wine was easy.

Some of the greatest fish wines in the world come from France's Loire Valley. Whether it's Muscadet from Nantes, Chenin Blanc from Savenierres or Vouvray, or Sauvignon Blanc (I like to just say Sauvignon) from the inland valleys, the wines are fresh and clean, driven by citrus and mineral flavors with high acidity that clears the palate and makes you want more to eat and drink.

While more expensive appellations produce amazing wines, the basic wines of the appellations are delicious unto themselves, offering great flavors at fair prices. I ordered a young Sauvignon from Touraine. I did not know the producer, but the region is known for high basic level of quality. The price was within my budget and the wine was delicious.

My special treat was ordering a few oysters. Normally raw seafood is off my diet due to my lowered level of immune-suppression necessary to protect my transplanted kidney and I have been real strict through the years. Susan smiled and said go for it. The provenance of the Oyster Bars oysters is as tight as can be found. I ordered a few old friends and one new, an extra-large beauty from Wianno Bay on the southern shore of Cape Cod. As you can see, the oysters are harvested from icy cold water.

 

The bivalve was so large I had to cut it into two bites. I felt immersed in the Atlantic with bursting sweet, briny, ocean flavors. Washed down with a swallow of wine, I felt reborn. Experience confirmed with the second bite.

Main courses followed. Susan had Salmon served with a Béarnaise, I had a grilled Branzino served with lemon, capers and olive oil. It was a great meal and we had great wine and stayed within budget.

For desert it was a short walk to Junior's in the food concourse where we enjoyed their classic cheesecake.

Then walked through an empty Grand Central and a couple of snowy blocks to our hotel. And I think we fell asleep. Happy.

Serious Cabernet: Snowden Vineyards

In 1955 the Snowden’s found a property up in the rolling hills east of the Silverado Trail in Napa. It was 40+ acres of woodlands and fruit trees in dusty perlite soils. In 1962 they had the foresight to plant wine grapes and the legendary Nathan Fay directed the first plantings with cuttings from his Stags Leap vineyards. 

The first grapes were sold to Fay and Stags Leap Wine Cellars. After subsequent plantings, grapes were sold to Phelps, Far Niente and Silver Oak. In the early 90’s the first Snowden wines were made under the direction of Ted Lemon. Sigels had the good fortune to represent Snowden in the Dallas market and the wines developed a following for their solid quality and remarkable aging potential. After some quality issues with the 02 and 03 vintages, the project was reborn under the leadership of Diane Snowden Seyesses (oenologist at the renowned Domaine Dujac in Burgundy) with David Ramey consulting, and was totally back on track with the 2005 vintage. We are very happy to say that with the even better 2006 Snowden is back home with Sigels.

We tasted the wines  Thursday morning with sales manager Jamie Adams. It’s always a challenge to face big Cabernet’s at 8:15 in the morning, but hey, we’re professionals!

Snowden Sauvignon Blanc 2007

Sourced from vineyards adjacent to Andy Beckstoffer’s house, the wine is a lean Loire Valley style with tight citrus flavors and clean acids that keep the wine tightly focused on the mineral finish. The wine is very nice without the floppy fruits found in so many California Sauvignons. 500 cases produced. (91-Wine Spectator, 90-Robert Parker)

Snowden Cabernet Sauvignon, The Ranch, 2006

Beautiful, rich, ready-to-go estate grown Cabernet. Aromas of cassis and chocolate lead to rich flavors of dark cassis and espresso with gripping integrated tannins on the finish. At $40 this is a tremendous value in the rarified prices of Napa Cabernet. (92-Wine Spectator, 92-Robert Parker)

Snowden Cabernet Sauvignon, Reserve, 2006

Made from both selected blocks of fruit and selected barrels from the cellar, the wine is definitely built to age. This morning, the floral black fruit aromas are a little sleepy, but the wine has just been opened. Brambly blackberries and cassis lead the palate to dark undergrowth and espresso and a long structured finish. The acids linger on the sides of the tongue. As much flavor as the wine shows now, it still seems muted. I imagine it will be singing this afternoon if it makes it past someone’s breakfast. (94-Wine Spectator, 95-Robert Parker)