J Brut Rose Russian River Valley NV Review Date - 2/1/2010 Score - 90 Tasting Note: The usual suspects (Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay) collaborate in this beautiful salmon-hued sparkling wine made in the traditional method; that is, with the second fermentation occurring in the bottle. The vigorous bubbling quickly settles into a persistent bead with fairly small bubbles throughout. Toasty biscuit and red fruit aromas greet the nose, while on the palate fresh, lively fruit--citrus, some tropical and hints of red fruits--is backed up by brisk acidity. A sensation of tannin adds interest. The long mouthwatering finish keeps the palate refreshed and ready for the next sip. Residual sugar is pretty low (1.35%), making this a very useful food wine. Serve slightly chilled, about 55ºF/13ºC, in either tall flutes or white wine glasses (the trend is away from flutes for sparkling wines and Champagnes). Chocolate: BRIX 40% cacao milk chocolate; milk chocolate with spices, both hot and aromatic (see Dagoba “Xocolatl” and Vosges “Red Fire Bar,” both at Whole Foods); and perhaps my favorite: Vosges’ “Mo’s Bacon Bar,” milk chocolate with apple wood-smoked bacon and alderwood-smoked salt; probably also good with milk-chocolate-dipped red fruits (cherries,strawberries). Other foods: Pistachios (salted and roasted); lobster, shrimp or crab bisque; chicken breast poached in white wine with cream sauce; poached or baked salmon; might even try it with filet mignon. National Distributing $35.00 Mario Giribaldi Brachetto d’Acqui D.O.C. NV Review Date - 2/1/2010 Score - 94 Tasting Note: Here’s the ideal wine with chocolate fondue, invented at a New York restaurant, Chalet Suisse, back in the mid 1960s. Brachetto is the grape type, and it produces, as in this example, a light-bodied sweet sparkling wine with a translucent dark cherry color. You’ll think “cherries” again when you whiff the aromas, along with strawberries (wild ones especially) and other red fruits. On the palate, rich, full, sweet dark fruits form a luscious taste experience. As with all Brachetto-based wines, this one is low in alcohol (6.5%) and invites sipping for either aperitif purposes or dessert. Especially on a warm summer day, it would make a splendid introduction to a meal that had a lot of fruit in it or with a cold fruit-based (cherry) soup. But it also does chocolate superbly when it’s involved with fruit. Serve the wine moderately chilled, about 55ºF/13ºC, in tall flutes or white wine glasses. Brachetto is not a keeper; enjoy soon after vintage. Do not cellar. Chocolate: Strawberries, cherries, red raspberries dipped in melted dark (preferably) chocolate; chocolate panna cotta with crushed fresh red fruits; chocolate fondue; chocolate fountains with fresh fruits or pound cake, lady fingers or angel food cake. Bacco Fine Wines $20.00 2007 Domaine Joseph Drouhin Bourgogne Laforet Review Date - 2/1/2010 Score - 87 Tasting Note: Milk chocolate is terrific with light-bodied dry red wines. Young Beaujolais and Pinot Noirs make perfect milk chocolate companions. Savory rather than fruit sweet, as Pinot Noir from Oregon tends to be, this medium-bodied dry red wine shows a translucent cherry red color. Delicate red fruit aromas prepare for the palate’s enjoyment of red fruit. Tannins are soft. The wine is not complicated, and the acidity seems higher than in the 2006, giving the wine the sensation of a really tart apple. Serve at cool room temperatures, about 65ºF/17ºC in wide, round glasses. Chocolate: BRIX milk chocolate; Hershey’s Krackle (milk chocolate and rice); Hershey’s Heath Bar (milk chocolate-covered toffee). Other foods: creamy liver pâté; grilled vegetables, grilled salmon, roasted pork tenderloin (pink) with mushrooms; smoked pork; with tomato-based barbecue sauce (or not as you prefer) grilled chicken breast with black bean salsa; roast chicken; creamy cheeses (Délice de Bourgogne; Cambozola). The 2006 works well, too, maybe even better, and is still available in half bottles, $15. National Distributing/Atlanta Wholesale Wine $17.00 2006 JC Cellars Viognier Late-Harvest Ripken Vineyard Review Date - 2/1/2010 Score - 91 Tasting Note: White chocolate isn’t, in some folks minds, a true chocolate. It has the cocoa butter but not the cacao that adds color and complexity. Ivory colored when it’s the real thing, it also doesn’t have dark chocolate’s caffeine levels. And it is a favorite of a lot of chocolate lovers. Pairing it with a white wine is the best thing to do, and this one, tasted at Cellar 56 in Buckhead, does a good job of it. This rich, full-bodied white wine with a reddish gold hue presents an intense aroma of yellow stone fruits both fresh and dried, made more complex by hints of toasted nuts. On the palate, it’s pure lusciousness, continuing the yellow stone fruit characters, and adding some brown baking spice notes to the mix. One might not think of Lodi for Viognier, but being a warm climate zone, it induces rich intensity in the grape. Perfect, really, for vinifying it in this style. This one sees about a year in oak, which I normally don’t think appropriate for Viognier, but it works in this case as doing so adds the toasted nuttiness that enhances complexity. Serve it slightly chilled, about 55ºF/13ºC in small tulip-shaped glasses. Limited supply. Chocolate: White chocolate cake or bread pudding; white chocolate fudge, “blondies,” white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. Other foods: foie gras, liver mousses, creamy blue cheeses (Gorgonzola dolce, Cambozola), blue cheese soufflé. Prime Distributors $25.00 Val d'Orbieu Muscat de St.-Jean-de-Minervois Petit Grains NV Review Date - 2/1/2010 Score - 90 Tasting Note: This Muscat à Petits Grains (small grapes) is a vin doux naturel made in the traditional way, with added spirits stopping fermentation and achieving an alcohol level of 15%. With intense aromas of fresh apricot and nectarine, and a medium gold/yellow color, the wine offers a palate of intense yellow stone fruits. Accents of citrus and the taste (but not the sweetness) of honey enrich the flavors. A luscious, silky texture enhances the wine. Serve in small tulip-shaped glasses very cool room temperature, about 55-60ºF;13-15ºC. Chocolate: Milk chocolate with Amarula (a South African liqueur made from cream, sugar and the fruit of the Marula tree), best pairing (the result is somewhat orangish in flavor); milk chocolate with crystallized ginger (although the pairing somewhat drives the chocolate underground); dark chocolate with orange (Lindt). Other foods: Pound cake; coconut candies; chilled poached fruits with crème anglaise; Zuppa Inglese; vanilla flavored panna cotta with fresh crushed fruits. National Distributing/Atlanta Wholesale Wine $17.00 2007 Quady Winery Black Muscat California Elysium Review Date - 2/1/2010 Score - 95 Tasting Note: Many years ago, I judged port wines with a group of port fans, and a wine made from Black Muscat was included. The poor wine was sandbagged because only I and one other judge would vote for it. It was superb. Should have gotten a medal. But snobbery issues robbed the wine of its “just desserts.” But things change: Last year Elysium won Best of Show Dessert wine and Double Gold at the California State Fair. A cross of two vinifera grapes (Schiava Grossa or Trollinger and Muscat d’Alexandria), the grape produced a famous South African dessert wine back in the 17th century. Medium-bodied with a dark blue purple color, the wine shows aromas of rose petals and dark berry fruits, such as blackberry, boysenberry and loganberry. On the palate, sweet dark fruit sits lightly on the tongue, and good acidity keeps the wine from being cloying. Serve the wine slightly cool, about 55ºF/13ºC in small tulip-shaped glasses. Alcohol is 15%. The wine comes in half (375 ml.) bottles and 750 ml. bottles, but most retailers stock the half bottle. Chocolate: Molten lava dark chocolate cake (tasted at Atlanta Grill with the still-good 2005 vintage); flourless dark chocolate cake or chocolate terrine; deep dark chocolate brownie. Other foods; Creamy blue cheeses (Saga, Cambozola, Gorgonzola dolce), pour over vanilla ice cream, and my favorite for many years a cobbler made with blue and black fruits. Just be sure not to make it too sweet. Atlanta Wholesale Wine/NDC $15.00 2006 Scott Harvey Wines One Last Kiss Review Date - 2/1/2010 Score - 90 Tasting Note: Blending Zinfandel (76%), Syrah and Barbera, this full-bodied dry red wine with a bright purple red color exudes initial fresh red raspberry fruit, then settles into a raft of blackberry on the palate. As the finish closes, nuances of other dark fruits come about, such as sweet dark plum and dark raisins. The wine’s enjoyment is enhanced by soft tannins and moderate (13.5%) alcohol. An ideal chocolate wine, this is rich, and full-bodied, yet balanced and should prove widely appealing. Women who complain that some red wines are “too thick” will not find that objection here. Very important to serve this at cool temperatures, about 60ºF/15ºC in a generously sized tulip-shaped glass. Flick the switch on the hot tub and pour it forth! May this NOT be your last kiss. There’s also semi-dry white that may do very well with white chocolate. Chocolate: Brix medium dark chocolate (60%); Vosges bacon milk chocolate; medium dark chocolate with spice (both hot and savory); medium dark chocolate with red fruits or with espresso (The Chocolate Bar for the latter); Other foods: lamb shoulder chop generously dusted with coffee (Café Campesino), dark cacao (Ghirardelli) powder, black pepper, sea salt and five spice powder (just a hint)--really good; pork tenderloin and Muscovy duck breast given the same treatment. Also beef/pork terrine, liver mousse; grilled chicken livers on a rosemary skewer; roast chicken; creamy blue cheeses. Big Boat $15.00 2007 Rocland Estate Chocolate Box Shiraz Review Date - 2/1/2010 Score - 88 Tasting Note: Some folks want a wine that has chocolate notes in it to go with chocolate. Target this one, and you’ll find plenty of chocolate notes in the flavors. This full-bodied red wine with a medium, translucent cherry red color invites familiarity with its aromas of dark raspberry fruits. On the palate, raspberry picks up dark chocolate characters, and the team of flavors, with vanilla, tobacco and coffee notes enhancing the package. Acid, fruit and silky tannin all march in lockstep. The alcohol (14.5%) shows a bit in the final moments, but keeping the wine at cool room temperature (60ºF/15ºC) attenuates it a bit. Aged in used French and American oak, so not oak-driven. Potential keeper if well cellared. Use a tall tulip-shaped glass. Chocolate: Medium dark chocolate, BRIX 60% cacao; Vosges milk chocolate with bacon; dark chocolate slightly softened with large-grain gray sea salt; chocolate-influenced barbecue sauce on smoked ribs; Other foods: roast pork tenderloin dusted with coffee, dark cacao, black pepper, sea salt and five spice powder (really good); grilled lamb chop treated to the same mix; roasted or grilled duck; mole poblano (but hold the heat). Big Boat Wine Co. $14.00 2006 Marqués de la Concordia Rioja “Signa” Crianza Review Date - 2/1/2010 Score - 92 Tasting Note: Dry red wines with soft tannins and good fruit are ably paired with chocolate, but as we recall that the wine must be sweeter than the chocolate, it follows that the chocolate should be less sweet. Thus, we want to aim for a dense milk to medium dark or dark chocolate with such a wine. I found that with this wine, 45-55% cacao was just about perfect, although higher (60%) also did pretty well. Deep purple with aromas of blackberries and black raspberries, the wine offers the forward fresh fruit that New World consumers enjoy while tannins are soft, juicy and supple. Not overwhelmed with oak, it spends judicious time (18 months) in American and French barrels. The long, juicy finish has enough acidity going for it to keep the palate refreshed, eagerly anticipating the next sip. Moderate alcohol--13.5%. Use a tapered, tulip-shaped glass with a generous bowl, and serve the wine at about 60ºF/15ºC. Chocolate: Brix 40% or 60% cacao chocolate, Heath bar by Hershey (very good), milk chocolate/espresso (The Chocolate Bar); Other foods: roast pork tenderloin, roasted rack or leg of lamb dusted with coffee/cocoa powder, black pepper, sea salt and five-spice powder; roast chicken; barbecue; (ribs); steak; creamy blue cheese (Point Reyes, Cambozola). Spanish dishes with chocolate, such as rabbit stew or “estofat,” a braised Catalan dish of meat and chocolate (always use the high-cacao chocolates in these dishes, not milk chocolate). Big Boat Wine Co. $14.00 2007 Vina Robles Winery Petite Syrah Jardine Review Date - 2/1/2010 Score - 93 Tasting Note: Big, forward fruit wines are needed to handle the big, bold flavors of higher cacao percentage chocolate. BRIX recommends Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux and Barolo. Fine, although I’m never quite happy with Cab and chocolate, but maybe just haven’t hit on the right Cab for chocolate. Or perhaps it’s my body chemistry that begs off the match. In any event, there are other choices. Petite Sirah, for example. This one from the warm Paso Robles region is high in alcohol (+15%) but doesn’t deliver heat to the nose or throat. Instead, this big, broad boomer with a deep, dark purple red color excites with aromas of dark plums and other black fruits; a light cedar note emerges, adding interest. Moderate acidity (<6.0) and juicy, fruit-filled tannins allow dark chocolate to play nice with the flavors. The finish goes on and on, and at no time does alcohol get in the way of the pleasure. I love Petite Sirah with a bit of age on it, and this one should, says the winery, endure to 2014. I bet it goes a bit longer than that if well cellared (at 55-60ºF/13-15ºC). Serving temperature, says the winery and I concur, should be about the same; use a large tulip-shaped glass. Chocolate: Both 60% and 70% (BRIX) cacao dark chocolate went well; dark chocolate with nuts (hazelnuts; almonds; peanuts); slightly melted dark chocolate with a few gains of gray sea,, smoked or rose salt. Other foods: smoked pork (including ribs); pork loin roast with the chocolate/cocoa/spice rub; meat stews and braises; stofat or rabbit braised with spices and chocolate; mole poblano; creamy, soft blue cheeses (Cambozola). Ultimate Distributing $26.00 Meinhardt Vineyards Lotts Creek Muscadine NV Review Date - 2/1/2010 Score - 88 Tasting Note: Muscadine fans will find an unusual interpretation of the grape in this wine, which sips rather like a sweet fortified wine (although it’s not). Looking for all the wild world like a tawny port, the wine shows a lovely, clear reddish amber color. The aromas quickly identify the grape type, with its sweet grape characters. On the palate, the Muscadine grape flavors add dried figs and sweet date notes. It’s Muscadine through and through, so you have to like that variety to enjoy this to the fullest. But it flat, slap adores being paired with really good chocolate. Serve it just slightly chilled in a proper tulip-shaped port glass. If you have a sense of adventure or if you will approach the wine with an open palate-mind, it may yield surprising pleasure. Chocolate: milk chocolate with peanut butter (Claude’s), Cognac-infused milk chocolate truffle; medium dark chocolate (about 60%) with sea salt, chocolate with hazelnuts; Heath bar; Other foods: fruit cake; pound cake; biscotti. Meinhardt Vineyards $18.00 Kopke Fine Ruby Porto NV Review Date - 2/1/2010 Score - 90 Tasting Note: Ruby Porto, is one of the best with chocolate, especially a dark chocolate macaroon. The pairing is absolutely sybaritic. And here’s the best part: It’s the least expensive!!! This is the porto young couples still swooning at the sight of each other may want to gather up in large quantities. Full-bodied with a deep, translucent purple red color, this one offers aromas of sweet dark fruits and nuts, while on the palate lush dark fruits, spice and the taste of toffee (not its sweetness) brings the experience to a close. Well balanced, with not too much heat from the high alcohol, this Ruby Porto shows how well a Ruby Porto can do with the right foods. Germans founded this, Portugal’s oldest extant Port house, in 1638; it is Porto’s first known shipper of record. Not widely distributed in this country, Kopke is a revered name among Porto aficionados. Serve at cool room temperature, about 60-65ºF/15ºC, in small, tulip-shaped glasses. Chocolate: milk chocolate slightly melted on a round of thinly sliced toasted French bread with large-grain sea salt on top; chocolate macaroons and brownies; American Gra-Frutti’s chocolate with ground nuts; chocolate with espresso centers (The Chocolate Bar); chocolate truffles. Peach State $14.00 Blandy’s Madeira Malmsey 10 Year Old NV Review Date - 2/1/2010 Score - 89 Tasting Note: Highly favored in the 19th century--and used to toast the Declaration of Independence--Madeira had fallen from grace. It’s seen a bit of a comeback in recent years, but still suffers from some sense of being “old-fashioned.” That’s a pity, because on its own, it makes a beautiful after-dinner drink. But pair it with desserts and chocolate to enjoy it on another level. This full-bodied example shows the classical dark but translucent amber color, the result of its average of 10 years in wood. The aromas suggest molasses, caramel, dried dark fruits, brown baking spices and toffee. On the palate, a luscious, viscous texture accompanies flavors of toffee and toasted nuts. Good acidity helps balance the sweetness. Grape type: Malvasia (a/k/a Malmsey). Madeira is fortified, so alcohol is substantial: 19%. Serve either at cool room temperature or slightly chilled (especially in summer) in medium-sized tulip-shaped glasses, large enough to capture the aromas. No need for decanting; keeps well after being opened. Chocolate: BRIX medium dark (60% cacao); 60-65% cacao chocolate with hazelnuts, Cognac-infused, peanut butter; dark chocolate-covered caramel with sea salt; Other desserts: pound cake; biscotti; chocolate macaroon; vanilla or chocolate pudding. Empire Distributing $40.00