No Wine Over $20-Reviews and the LA Wine Scene

One 2009 mega-trend (mega trends being mega trendy) - new local tasting establishments - (El Vino in Venice, 55 Degree in Atwater Village) has come to Santa Monica. Actually tBoW is a bit behind the 8-ball here since Pourtal opened in April 2009. [ed. call us hokey using their web image but it works] We visited the wine tasting bar in January to taste a couple more Malibu wines. Pourtal hosted a Malibu winery series in January. Maybe they will do it again! Of course, some of the Malibu wines are available for tasting any time...because Pourtal has three Enomatic tasting machines. Each machine is geared to a theme such as international, zins and mixed bag. The Enomatic keeps the open bottle fresh using an inert gas to defend against oxidation.

tBow first encountered this remarkable machine in Napa circa 2005. A new tasting bar called Stave was the first US retailer to bring the machine made in Italy to the US. We liked the concept then and are pleased to see it has made it to LA. If you think oxidation can be deterred by simply keeping the bottles in the refrigerator then take a 15 time out before resuming this review. The Abronson family owns and operates Pourtal. Turns out they were inspired by the now defunct Stave project. Times are very tough in Napa so we hope Pourtal finds success in our neighborhood.

Pourtal is located where Santa Monica Blvd meets Pacific at the park overlooking the ocean. This first block is crammed with cool eating spots and typical bars including the World Famous Ye Olde Kings Head which I see now has a gift shop. If you like to drink British beers and watch soccer with Brit ex-pats then get on down to Ye Olde Kings Head. We presume YOKH is still a good meet market.

However, if you want to taste a lot of very interesting international or domestic wines then hit Pourtal right next door. I cannot say whether it is a good meet market but you can always just slide over to YOKH if you catch a buzz and an inclination.

Pourtal revolves around four tasting stations where one can self-dispense one ounce tastes of wines from a selection of 40 bottles>. You purchase a "smart card" with a read/write chip, setting your own spending limit. tBoW went for $20. Cost per taste varies according to the bottle. For example, the 2005 Dominus will take $8.80 out of your credit line [ed. and still be tight and not ready]. What makes Pourtal interesting from purely a wine snob perspective is the range of wines available for tasting. This is, of course, a function of the wit, energy and knowledge of the wine director. That would be Ms. Rachel Bryan.

Rachel brings solid credentials and the perfect palate to Pourtal. She has worked as sommelier in New York City and Los Angeles restaurants, She has also worked retail in one of NYC's premium wine shops, Chambers. So she knows wine. Proprietor Stephen Abronson loves wine but admittedly is not the total wine freak. However, he knew to hire Rachel. Together they select the monthly wine themes. The wine importers and distributors follow Rachel wherever she lands because who else will buy their most unusual international selections. And that is the point of Pourtal: where else can the wine-curious find answers to what is coming out of the Israeli or Croatian wine scenes? That makes Pourtal at least a monthly wine stop on tBoW's calendar. Coming up in the months ahead? Island Wines (Sicily, Canary, Mallorca, New Zealand), Funky Reds [ed. the Isaac Hayes to the James Brown of wines? We'll go just for the DJ], Top Eco-Wineries (Alma Rosa, Cade, Stoller, Bonny Doon). Wine is so much more than Parker ratings!

We visited Pourtal to learn about the operation and to taste wines poured by premium Malibu vintners Hoyt and Schetter. But we missed the tasting. You have to wait for another mega-Bu report to read about the Malibu part of the evening's program. However, coverage of Pourtal's outstanding international selection - such that one just does not see elsewhere - especially by the glass, follows.

2006 Teliani Valley Khvanchkara, Lechkhumi, Republic of Georgia $22: It's from Georgia; not the Atlanta Georgia; the former Soviet Socialist Republic state. Many of us do not realize that every one of those Central/Eastern euro nations has a long standing wine producing tradition. Like the Hungarian Tokay Aszu with its putonyos. Under Communism the tradition fell on hard times. We could speculate on why this was but we will not...except to say...never mind. The label on this wine says "semi-sweet red wine." I have heard semi-sweet is the preferred style for this part of Europe. Reputedly this was Stalin's favorite wine served to Churchill and Roosevelt at Yalta. Lots of acid here and sticky sweet juice. I am thinking this would probably go well with unfiltered cigarettes. All right. Cheap shot. This is a premium growing region that claims at least 15 aboriginal wine varietals. [ed. but are they vinifera?] and it is quite possible we may be seeing more wines from Georgia. It is often the case the best wines from a new region come later after the cheap ones have ruined all expectations. 12.5%

2008 Attila Gere Villány Portugieser $13: Light weight wine that is well-made if a bit thin. Think Julie Haggerty; like the great comedic actress the wine is quite enjoyable if not inspiring. If tBoW was traveling in Transylvania and saw a bottle he would buy it. 12.5%

2007 Bouza Tannat $37: This wine holds special interest because Tablas Creek produces a Tannat wine which is another good reason to follow TC. Hardy by reputation and certainly big and brawny from Paso Robles, tBoW was anxious to see what kind of Tannat is produced in Uruguay at the Bouza Bodega outside Montevideo across the strait from Buenos Aires. The nose is high toned and lofty. Restrained. Flavors are pleasant. Cannot taste the alcohol which is at Central Coast level. Not as ripe as the TC rendition. We like it. Solid middle weight. 15%

2007 Flam Classico $34: A blend of Cabernet and Merlot from the Judean Hills in Israel. Distinctive and appealing nose of charcoal and anise. A very good effort. Strong flavors, not too ripe. Fleshy. I would prefer this to many domestic blends. These last two wines were excellent ones to finish with. Chabad's house wine? Brought in by Israeli Wine Direct. 14%

This was a very fun tasting evening. Unusual wines that show how things are changing all over the world. All for $20. Big tBow stamp of approval.

Got to thinking about Julie Hagerty and found this wonderful and memorable scene from Lost in America. Maybe we did not give her sufficient credit. Imagine how tough it is to have your name constantly misspelled!

The ocean of wine and the lineup in it keeps getting bigger. We choose wines like we would choose waves; certain size, as close to perfect conditions as we can presume. What wines will be in the tBoW lineup for 2010? [ed. the surfing lineup is all those people in the water here at Topanga point trying to catch the same wave] With seemingly limitless options we contemplate the wine lineup for the coming year. Keep it simple - good values, great and interesting wines, selecting carefully from the best of the best. Based on the first pours in January we can forecast that Winter through early Spring will feature French white wines and more Malibu discoveries. We can live with that. The local vintners of the Bu continue to defy expectations and definitely have our attention. Here then are several recent turns of the corkscrew.

2005 Malibu Vineyard Rambla Pacifico Pinot Noir $35: Another pretty darn good Pinot Noir from the coastal hills up Pacific Coast Highway on the way to the best surfing beaches in north LA county. The story is owner Michael McCarty (of the venerable dining establishment Michaels) planted Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in the late 1980s with displeasing results. The vines were torn out and replaced with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The wine in this bottle is a bit rustic with a sense of terroir which in tBow-speak means it does not taste like a fruit bomb from the Central Coast. That is good. It has ripe cherry flavors putting in the Volnay style class. No forest floor here. Solid middle weight viscosity and very drinkable. Price is fair and alcohol level is acceptable. Of course, we cannot help but compare it to the Malibu Sanity Hills wine. They are different; think Old World vs New World. Very good effort, worth seeking out and comparing over the years to come as each wine develops its personal style.

2004 Solstice Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon $36: One of the earliest vintages from this well regarded vintner. The retailer said some bottles are bad so you can bring it back. But some are really good. This was a good one. Fruit is ripe but not jammy plump and all stuffed up. Raspberry flavors, light to middle weight. Has a quick finish. Reminds me of a New World Syrah. How did he keep the alcohol below 14? We would drink this again before trying one of the endless Napa Cabs at or near the same price now seeking shelter on winestilsoldout.com 13.8%

A few words about the Dean of Malibu wine country, John Selman, who runs Malibu Village Wine Shop in the shopping bazaar off PCH across from Surfrider Beach. This shop is like walking into one of the homes on the Hoarders series. Cases on top of cases, tasting notes hanging like tinsel on my Xmas tree, and a decorative collection of vodkas in the far corner. John knows where everything is in the store and he knows even more about who is growing what and why in the hills of the Bu. Prices are very fair, selection is tops if you want to try the best Bu wines, and the conversation is stellar. Any visit to Malibu wine country should start and/or end at this shop.

2006 Chantemerle Chablis La Chantemerle $20: Always been a Chablis fan. The style is generally steely, lean, fresh. When exaggerated these qualities come off foxy even feline; but not here. Hope to drink more French Chardonnays like this one in 2010. Because Chablis is generally under-valued, it is actually a good region to watch for great values. [ed. dreams of $25 Gran Crus danced through his head!] This is ordinary Chablis with a few years on it. Decent price. Nice and simple. Balanced, light to mid weight. Refined with pear flavors. Showing some tannins. It ain't New World Chard. Is that all we care about? Well, not all we care about...but it counts. xx%

2004 Rochioli Estate Pinot Noir $60: Accompanied the Saints-Vikings game. Can I compare the wine to Brett Favre? [ed. should you?] Over the top. Intense, Iron fist in a velvet glove stuff. Focused but not BIG. And ultimately, a miss more than a hit. "Too many notes." The point is Rochioli wines do seem to over-reach for the heights in the most obvious and nearly bombastic style. Like Favre they are legendary and produce incredible hits. But they also make some very ill-timed boo-boos. This wine was big enough to overwhelm the cigar I smoked between games. It is muscular, supple, with solid flavors. Concentrated. I can taste the alcohol which is never good. And it tastes a lot like a California Syrah from the Central Coast. 14.8%

2006 Bret Brothers Pouilly-Fuisse Climat Le Clos Reyssie $34: Purchased at Woodland Hills Wine Co. Two French brothers named Bret (not Favre) began making their own wines in 2000. They own a vineyard AND buy grapes. This wine has a sinewy feel. Lean. Green and chalky flavors. The vineyard source - Le Clos Reyssié - is the most famous holding in the village of Chaintré which is one of the four villages producing Pouilly-Fuissé. [ed. tBoW lifted this from the Bret Bros website] This wine comes from a 60 year old plot on rather deep soil on a vein of very hard limestone. Makes me think this is what Cakebread wants to taste like but never will. And this is half that cost. We like it. We also noted the distributor Polaner Selections who reps several labels we also like including Clos de la Roilette and Didier Dagueneau. Keep an eye out for Polaner. Love the low alcohol level. 12.5%

Here is another example of what the Malibu Coastline can produce given very good conditions.

Yessirree. We caught some bigguns over the Holiday. We also learned what to serve with paella...Spanish wines. Chad - sales guy extraordinaire from local emporium Woodland Hills Wine Co - played Santa's elf and made sure we chose the right wines. We embellished with a couple sweeties and some cheeses only a Mouse would know about. All is reported below. This entry finishes the review of wines tasted over the 2009 Christmas and New Year holiday. Looking back, it must have been pretty good. This set was tasted under one roof on the same evening.

2001 Viña Busconia $32: Tempranillo from Rioja. We do not have that many Spanish wines but the hostess served paella so...The wine was extraordinary. Delicate, lightweight as some Riojas can show. Leather up front then pure red fruit. Polished wine. Very impressive. A great match to the food. [ed. New year resolution: more Spanish wines]. 13%

1990 Viña Tondonia Reserva $40: Same producer as above, R. Lozes Heredia Viña Condrian. Both bottles were wrapped in that light gold colored, Catholic memory, cross hatch wire. Not impressive at first. Kind of flat and waxy. 15 minutes later it was the best complement to the paella. Grapes are Viria and Malvasia. Shows tropical flavors like pineapple and lychee. Won the tBow palme d'or that evening. 13%

1994 Kopke Port $19 (on release 1997): A lesser house from the major region. Port remains fairly unfashionable. Like bow ties you have to love them to indulge. This is spicy at 16 years, with hint of cilantro, nutty flavors like filbert, and red fruit. Just terrific. 20%

2005 Royal Tokayi 5 Putonyos $20: A bargain bin purchase from winecommune.com. More apricots but these are sweet and rich. The wine is young so there is also a steely quality that keeps it live. Somebody in a swoon says "like a first kiss." [ed. New year resolution: spend more time on winecommune.com] 19%