Tobin James - James Gang HAS ARRIVED!

Tobin James has arrived! As I said in one of my previous posts, Tobin James is the creator of some very fun, yet very over the top wines. They aren't exactly easy to find in our area, but if you find them, pick one of up and check it out. I don't think that you will be disappointed in the least!

The "James Gang" Wine Club is a great opportunity to enjoy 16 of their wines over the course of a year. For $145 per shipment, plus shipping, you will receive a fall shipment, as well as a spring shipment of 8 of their wines, as well as a free gift. The spring 2008 shipment consisted of the following wines:

2006 Tobin James Zinfandel Liquid Love, Late Harvest
2006 Tobin James Chardonnay James Gang Reserve
2005 Tobin James Petite Sirah Black Magic
2005 Tobin James Lagrein Silver Reserve
2005 Tobin James Cabernet Franc James Gang Reserve
2005 Tobin James Syrah Silver Reserve
2005 Tobin James Zinfandel French Camp
2005 Tobin James Zinfandel Fat Boy

All in all, a great group of wines that I am very excited to try! I think out of all of them, I am really looking forward to the petite sirah, and the French Camp and Fat Boy zin's! I am sure they will all be big fruit forward fruit bombs, but that is a great thing.

For the money, you really cannot beat this club! The cost of replacement to place the exact same order for these wines would be close to $300, so can you really go wrong for $145?

This years free gift was a heavy, wrough iron napkin holder in the shape of the Tobin James logo. Is it a purplish-blue color, and it will be perfect to keep napkins on the patio table as Raphael stated!

For more information on the club, check out: http://www.tobinjames.com/club.asp

James Gang Benefits:
No membership fee, Incredible discounts on James Gang shipments, 15% discount on all wine purchases, 20% discount on a case or more wine purchases, Invitations to special events, 10% discount on logo merchandise, Our newsletter with each shipment.

Each member will receive:
Eight bottles of wine, shipped Spring & Fall, Special GIFT in each shipment!! The cost of each shipment will be $145, which includes shipping and handling in California. Each shipment will be conveniently charged to your credit card. Membership is at no cost and can be cancelled with a 30 days written notice before the next shipment.

Check it out, you won't regret it! Cheers!

Cafe Galleria - Lambertville, NJ

It was an overcast Sunday for lunch at Cafe Galleria in Lambertville, but that didn't stop us. After walking around looking for somewhere new to try, we came to find that most of the restaurants we were interested in trying were closed today. That being said, why not head back to Cafe Galleria? It's a great place that we have visited for dinner, and lunch was no let down. If you've never been to Cafe Galleria, it is a very small, and very cozy place. They have 7 tables in the restaurant, and that is it. Regardless of their size, their food is great, and it's always a pleasure to enjoy a meal there. Lunch was no different. Today, Zelda wanted to try their vodka sauce, so she ordered the semolina pasta with vodka sauce. What a great color it came out, with amazing flavor. For a lunch sized portion, it was perfect. I opted for the chicken alfredo today, and it too was great. The pasta was outstanding, and the sauce was magnificient. Nice and creamy, with some small red onion, and the pasta was cooked just how I liked it. All in all, a great lunch for both of us, and can you really beat it at around $20 with 2 Cokes? Not in Lambertville. Again, a great place, with great quality food! Thumbs up! 18 South Main Street Lambertville, NJ Phone: 609-397-2400 E-mail: mailto:comments@caffegalleria.com Website: http://www.caffegalleria.com/

Oliver - A Bistro Bordentown, NJ

Another great dinner at Oliver-A Bistro on a Friday night in Bordentown! We absolutely love this restaurant, and the owners, Matt and Danielle have done such a great job since they bought it 2 years ago. Matt serves as the extremely talented executive chef, while Danielle runs the front of house and the catering side of the business. Kudos to them both for transforming Oliver from the hot lunch only spot, to the now lunch and dinner hot spot in town!

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Bruce had a well deserved night off tonight, but the service was still great without him. Everyone here is so nice, and the food is just so damn good! Tons of great specials tonight, ranging from steaks, to seafood, to lamb chops, but when it came down to it, Zelda had her usual staple, the Risotto with Sweet Pea and Parmesan, which is usually an $8 appetizer, that she transforms in a dinner size portion at $16, and I ordered the Pacific Mahi with Artichoke, Red Bliss Potato and Sweet Carrot Barigoule and an English Pea Emulsion at $18.95.

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As always, Zelda's risotto was cooked to perfecton, with beautifully colored peas, and freshly shaved parm on top. This is such a great dish, and a perfect dish for the spring with great fresh ingredients. My mahi was a beautiful, fresh, and thick piece of fish that could not have been cooked any more perfect. The side consisted of potatos and carrots that were very tasty, and the English pea emulsion had great flavor...this coming from a non pea lover. To top it all of, pea sprouts covered the fish, which was a gorgeous touch, and added very nice, delicate flavors.

All in all, another awesome meal at Oliver, and we enjoyed a great Emeritus pinot. Be sure to check out the review for that as well!

Be sure to check Oliver out online at: http://www.oliverabistro.com/

2005 Emeritus Vineyards Pinot Noir Estate Bottled, Sonoma Coast William Wesley

We haven't re-visited this bottle since last summer, but we were in for a real treat tonight! This wine was purchased on release from Emeritus, after getting an invitation from Brice Cutrer to join the mailing list as a charter member. Needless to say, I am glad that we did!

The 2005 William Wesley was made available only to mailing list members, and not made available to retailers. We were allocated 12, but unfortunately only purchased 6 of 12.

Tonight we brought this to Oliver-A Bistro, and it was popped and poured. The color in the glass was amazing...almost like a raspberry in the glass....absolutely gorgeous! The nose showed to be much more fruity on the nose than floral. Hints of cherry, were predominant. On the palate, tons of candied cherry, raspberry, plum, and strawberry were very dominant. This is a very fruit forward pinot, and as Zelda said, it is more fruity than floral....so right, and I think she has a better nose than me...

Lots of cherry and strawberry on the palate, and this wine was not at all tannic. It continued to open as the bottle was open, and turned out to be another stellar bottle, very similar to the first one we had last year, but more balanced I think. Will try another one next summer!

All said and done, a wonderful pinot worthy of 94 points!

RELEASE ALERT - 2005 Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Materium

Received the mailer today for the 2005 Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Materium. This is the 2nd release from Chris, and I am sure it is going to be stellar, and worthy of aging for some years to come!

From the website:
2005 MAYBACH MATERIUM

100% Cabernet Sauvignon
614 cases produced

75% new French oak14.8% alc.

A review of last years release can be seen here:
2004 Materium Robert Parker Review

SECOND RELEASE of Maybach Materium, from a single block of the Weitz Vineyard, which sits at 1000 feet elevation on the eastern hillside of Oakville, a bonded growing area unique in all the world. The vines here struggle to grow among boulders and stones and in shallow soil, giving deep concentration to the fruit.

If you want high end cabs ($110 per release price)that you can cellar for years to come and enjoy down the road, then these are the ones to buy. You have officially found what you are looking for. That being said, sign up for their mailing list now at: http://www.maybachwine.com/ This is a must buy, and we were allocated 3 bottles.

More information available at:
Maybach Family Vineyards
P.O. Box 31
Oakville, CA 94562

info@maybachwine.com

Cheers!

Delorenzo's Tomato Pies - Route 33 Robbinsville

Ended up here tonight on a whim after we went to hit a bucket of balls in Hamilton. Unfortunately we didn't think of bringing any wine tonight, but Delo's does serve a mean birch beer!

We were very lucky to get seated right away tonight. Upon walking in, Sammy was on the customer side of the counter, and greeted us with a handshake.

You gotta absolutely love the antipasti here. If only the Hudson Street location offered it as well. It is great to keep you occupied as you sit and drool, waiting and watching others eat their pies. Great roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella, another type of cheese, an Italian salami, olives, and sesame bread sticks. They give you so much food! It is perfect for 4 people!

The pie came, and was absolutely cooked to perfection. We ordered the usual, sweet peppers on the whole pie, with sausage on my half. The crust was perfect, but not as crunchy and crispy as Hudson Street. It also seemed to have a little more dough to it than Hudson Street. Maybe this is because of the water in Robbinsville...or maybe the are just making the crust a little different. Doubtful, but there has to be some kind of explanation. They also use bit more cheese than the original, but that is not a bad thing at all.

The ambiance is definitely nicer than Hudson Street, but I really do appreciate the Hudson Street location, and look past all of that. The biggest bonus today however was being able to wash my hands after going to the driving range. You just can't do that at the Hudson Street location.

In short, another killer pie from the best tomato pie family in New Jersey. Keep up the great work guys!

2004 Bonny Doon Vineyard Big House Red

After having to run to Comcast to replace a cable box that friend, then having a "fast" dinner, this was the perfect thing for a nice relaxing night on the bistro to unwind with Zelda.

For $8.99, this is a good, affordable daily drinker, and it would also make a good guest wine for those who don't appreciate a nice bottle of wine. God knows we all have those friends, so why open a $30-$50 bottle so they can sit there and say it's alright.

Some red fruits on the nose: strawberry, raspberry, and maybe even cranberry. On the palate, more strawberry and cherry more than anything, with a nice , semi tart acidity. The finish was short and not complex, but what do you want for under $9? Overall, I gave this wine 85 points. Definitely nothing special, but it makes a good daily drinker with a great QPR. Would purchase again. And as always, don't let the screw top fool you! Cheers!

RELEASE ALERT - Tobin James

Unfortunately, you just don't know what you are going to get until it arrives at the house, but this morning I saw the charge on my debit card statement for my Spring Tobin James release.

If you are a lover of crazy, fruit forward, over the top wines, I highly recommend Tobin James to you. Their zinfandel's are amazing, and their dessert wines to die for. Check them out at: http://www.tobinjames.com/ or visit them at:

8950 Union Road
Paso Robles, CA 93446
Phone (805) 239-2204

Their Spring and Fall release consists of 8 bottles for $145 plus shipping. For that price, you really can't do a whole lot better for some tasty vino! Log on and join their club! You won't regret it! Cheers!

Concerto Fusion

Reservations tonight at Concerto Fusion in Morrisville, PA. The menu looks great, and we have heard nothing but good things, so check them out at: http://www.concertofusion.com/ Review to come soon! 2 South Delmorr Avenue Morrisville, PA 19067 Phone: 215.428.2899 Fax: 215.428.3899 info@concertofusion.com Upon driving up, we were amazed at how weird the location was, just to the left of the "Trenton Makes" bridge as you cross over the river from the Jersey side. Upon entering, you are greeted by a beautiful water wall, that sets the ambiance for the restaurant. To the right you will find the sushi bar, and to the left, and host stand. On the opposite side of the water wall, lies the bar, which look really nice! We arrived about 45 minutes early for our reservation, but were seated anyway. The restaurant was definitely crowded, bu not at max capacity. We were sat at a table off of the main dining room, on the lower level to the right of the host stand. They did a nice job breaking this area up from the waiting area by hanging some odd plastic like strings from the ceiling in front of the 3 tables situated here. They were very strange to see, but very cool, and it worked perfectly for them. On looking over the wine list, they have a list of a few good wines that you will not normally find in stores. We ended up having a 2006 Chateau Lamothe Vincent Sauvignon Blanc from Bordeaux that was tasty. It had a great sauv banc color in the glass, and didn't have the sweetness of your typical Marlboro sauv blanc. All in all it was a good wine for $28. Next were the appetizers, and we both ordered the spring rolls at $3, along with the Caribbean Phyllo Crusted Prawns at $8. The spring rolls were massive, with 4 large pieces cut and standing straight up on the plate over duck sauce. The presentation was gorgeous, and the ingredients were very fresh. Gorgeous color on everything and the sauce had a nice bit of heat to hit. The prawns were fabulous, and the phyllo was almost like pasta, wrapped around each prawn. They were gently fried to perfection, and served over a mango and guacamole salsa. All in all, A+ on the appetizers! Dinner was next, and Zelda ordered the cashew chicken($10), and I ordered the General Tso's($13). Both were magnificent large portions, served with white rice. The cashews were raw, and they could have put more in the dish, but all in all, it was very good. The General Tso's was breaded and cooked perfectly with a great sauce. The sauce did not overwhelm the chicken, and it also did not smother it, making it soggy. I would order this again sometime. Service was good, and all the wait staff was Asian. They were busy, and seemed to be under-manned, but they moved their tails and got the job done with no problems. For the money, you really cannot beat this place. All the food was good, the wine was excellent, and did not have the typical 300% restaurant markups. Total bill was $67 and change, which is excellent for a bottle of wine, 3 apps, and 2 entrees. Unfortunately, we didn't have room for dessert, but what can you do? Upon leaving, we were greeted by the owner, and he asked us if everything was OK, and of course we told him we would be back...and we will be. This is a great restaurant, and probably the closest good "Asian cuisine" to where we live. Check out their menu on their site as it is huge. They have a great selection of Japanese dishes, as well as the classic Chinese cuisine, and sushi. Overall, I give them 9 out of 10 stars, and I look forward to trying them for lunch sometime!

RELEASE ALERT - Stefania Wines

It is an exciting day today to come home and find a letter from Stefanie Wines in the mailbox. If you have never heard of them, I highly suggest you sign up for their mailing list at: http://www.stefaniawine.com/

Paul and Stefania are some of the nicest people I have ever dealt with in the wine world, and they are making damn nice quality wines to boot. This current release consists of:

2006 Eaglepoint Ranch Syrah
2.1 tons crushed on 10/11/06. Brix 25.0, pH 3.60
100% destemmed and not crushed. The fruit was again excellent and we sorted in the field. No additions were made this year and no water was required. We fermented with two different yeast strains in 3 one ton bins. Fermentation completed on 10/24/05 and the must was lightly pressed with 80% of the wine being free run.
The must was transferred to a total of 20% new French Oak and a mix of 1 year old, two year old, and neutral French and American Oak. It completed Malolactic Fermentation in the Spring of 2007
The wine is showing great color and a very fruit forward nose. It seems more open and floral early on than the 2005, with lots of fruit and spice. Total of 5 1/2 barrels, @ 135 cases
Release Scheduled: Spring of 2008.
Estimated price: 3 pack for $105, 6 pack for $200.

2006 Haut Tubee (named for the hot tub in our backyard)
3/4 tons crushed between 10/6 and 10/29. Brix 24.6, pH 3.60
A little bit of everything includes, 55 % Uvas Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, foot stomped at our harvest party and fermented in a 1/2 ton bin. 20% Syrah, Grenache and 5 clusters of Mourvedre from our yard. 20% Zinfandel from the Elandrich Vineyard. 4% Cabernet Sauvignon from Chaine D 'Or. 2% Syrah and Mourvedre from the OttiGurr Vineyard in San Jose. The lots were mostly fermented separately unless there wasn't enough of something, then it got thrown in together, and everything was pressed in our old basket press as it finished, then was transfered to stainless steel until everything was complete and could be moved in to barrel.
The must was transferred to one old French Barrel and one old 1/2 barrel. Jerry threw a dose of Cabernet Sauvignon from Chaine D'Or to top off the barrels and start Malolactic Fermintation. It completed Malolactic Fermentation in January of 2007
To quote Stefania as we transferred it into barrel, "This isn't bad hooch". It's actually pretty good wine, with nice color and a sweet fruit nose, fun to drink. It will likely be a "Gratis" gift for our friends and customers. Total of 1 1/2 barrels, @ 35cases
Release Scheduled: Spring of 2008.
Estimated price: 3 packs for $60.

After having their cab from the 2007 Fall release, I jumped all over this, took my full 6 bottle allocation of syrah, 3 bottle allocation of the Haut Tubee, and requested 3 extra bottles of the Haut Tubee, which Paul was kind enough to allocate to me! Thanks Paul.

All I can say, is that their cab is incredible, and I have yet to hear anything bad about any of their wines. People love them! If you are not on their list, sign up as soon as you can! They make very small quantities of wine, and their mailing list already has a lot of members. Is this going to be yet another California cult wine? Possibly, but unlike the cult wines, I don't see Paul and Stefania raising their prices like the cult wines. They are just that good of people and we tank them, and look forward to meeting them in the future!

Delorenzo's Tomato Pies - Hudson Street - Trenton, NJ

I'm sure some of you have heard me talk about "Delo's" a million and one times, so what can I say? This place is the best of the best!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Trenton, all I can tell you is that if you are ever in the area, and you are a connoisseur of greatness in the land of tomato pies, then this is the place for you!

First off, let me state that there are two Delorenzo's in Trenton, the best being on Hudson Street, but another being located on Hamilton Avenue, which we have only tried once. Maybe this tells you something? They have also added a third location at the Washington Town Center on Route 33 in Robbinsville, NJ. Gary Amico's son Sam is running this location, and you can check it out at: http://www.delorenzostomatopies.com/

So back to the original, located at 530 Hudson Street. We've been going there for years now, and it is one of those places that I could just never get tired of. They were actually established in 1947, and are located in the old part of town, across from an old abandoned steel mill or something. The building is an old row home, and is run by Gary and his wife. Note that now they are only open Thursday through Sunday, from 4PM-10PM now that the new store is open.

Don't go to Delo's looking for ambiance....don't even go there looking for a bathroom. Yes folks, that is correct, you will not find a bathroom there. How can this be? Well, they have been there for that long, that they were grandfathered in.

There have been many times that we have waited for close to an hour outside on the street, in lines with many others. The last few times we have gone however, we have gotten right in. Unfortunately, this was not the case last night, but we only waited outside for 15 minutes or so, then stood inside for another 5 minutes until a table opened up.

Once seated, we opened our wine case, pulled out two Riedel's, and popped open our wine, which you can read about in the previous post. Yes, Delorenzo's is BYOB friendly. The bus boy came over with our mint green plates and some silverware, and we ordered our two birch beer, which is a staple for us.

Just a few moments later, Gary's wife came over and we placed an order for a large pie, all sweet peppers, and 1/2 sausage for me. Meanwhile, Gary and another gentleman who I can't ever remember seeing before were busy making the pies, running back to the kitchen for more dough, cheese, etc, and pulling pies out of the oven. Some of the pies went from oven, to tray, then were cut, and sent to tables, while others were put into boxes for carry out. They did have the phone on the hook last night, so they were taking phone orders. There are times when they are extremely packed, and they will take the phone off the hook, preventing people from ordering over the phone. How can they afford to do this you ask? Well, they just can! They do that much business.

Our pie came out later, and I have no idea how long it took. Realistically, I could really careless how long it took, because it's Delorenzo's, on Hudson Street no less. Upon arriving at the table, I saw yet another gorgeous pie, cooked to perfection. The crust had nice golden brown edges, with traces of black from where some edges cooked faster than others. My sausage prevailed on my half of the pie, peaking through the most wonderful sauce, accompanied by sweet peppers, with slight amounts of cheese scattered all over the pie.

I wish I could explain just how good these pies are, but it is just so hard to put into words. Say what you will, but their sauce is one of a kind. It has such a great taste, and there are no traces of seasoning in the sauce whatsoever! The tomatoes are crushed for the most part, but you will find chunks of tomato on occasion as well. The crust is nice and crispy, and extremely thin, and usually a nice golden brown color. The cheese is scarce, but it is still good, I would say perfect, but some of you might consider ordering them with extra cheese if you are a lover of a pie covered in cheese. I can't say enough about the sausage they have, purchased from City Beef in Trenton from what Sam has told me. And the sweet peppers! WOW! I would love to get a bottle of these to eat right out of the jar! They are the best!

All in all, another great pie from Delo's, and just one of thousands to come in the next many years from us! Keep up the great work over there guys, and keep those awesome pies coming!

2000 Silverado Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

This bottle was a gift from our good friend "Dee," and we enjoyed it tonight at Delorenzo's Tomato Pies on Hudson Street in Trenton....the original Delo's, and still the best!

The 2000 was pretty impressive, with a nice young purple color in the glass. Maybe this wine is still very young and needs more time in the bottle. I would have to guess that this is still going to get better for another decade or so, but what do I really know? Not as much as I wish!

Both the nose and the palate detect plenty of dark fruits. This wine is well structured, with very little tannins. Unfortunately, the finish was very short, almost non-existent which still has me a bit puzzled. We will re-visit this wine tonight after another 24 hours in the bottle.

24 hours later this wine was velvety smooth! Just goes to show how much better wines can get with air and time. And all I did was put a vacuum on the bottle and threw it in the fridge. The fruit really came out upon doing so, and it turned into a great jammy Cabernet. Next time, we'll decant the bottle for some time before drinking!

All in all, a good cab, but not sure it is worth the price tag of what you see it for in the store. Regardless, it made a great gift, and I would love to drink another bottle. Thanks Dee!

91 points out of 100!

2004 Argyle "Nuthouse" Pinot Noir

This was the second bottle of the night, which we enjoyed on a very early Spring "Bistro Night" with the neighbors.

This wine is great already, but is definitely still young and could use some more time in the bottle. This was much more of an old world, Burgundy style pinot than the California styled fruit bombs, which I do enjoy very much by the way. Truth be told, I think this bottle could use another 5 years in the bottle, maybe even more, and then it will be fabulous.

Some cherries and a hint of spice, maybe even vanilla on the nose. Tons of sour cherry and plum, and some other dark fruits on the palate, with other hints of black fruits. The finish was not overly complex, but lingered for a good 20-30 seconds, with more hints of plum.

We still have one more of these in the cellar, and I will definitely purchase more of these, especially since they are currently on sale around the area for a tad under $40. I don't plan on revisiting this wine for another year or more, as I think it needs that time in the bottle to continue to evolve. I do think though that this will be a good wine to put in the cellar and forget you had for a few years!

Highly rated by in my book, and I would give it 91 points.

2005 Lafond Syrah Santa Rita Hills Lafond Vineyard

Raphael brought this over to the house tonight, and the three of us enjoyed it on one of the first "Bistro Nights" of Spring, although it was a bit on the chilly side.

Lots of neighbors came down and said hello, which is just a sign that Spring is near, and that it is going to be a great "Bistro Season." Kurt and Meredith hung out, as well as Todd and Michelle, Lisa and Andrew, Jim Cathy and "Wiggles," Diane, Carter, and God only knows who else. I hope you all are looking forward to bistro season like we are!

Back to the Lafond. First and foremost, it is always a treat when Raph brings something over that he brought back from California. The wines he selects are always a treat!

The wine had a tight nose of cherry and other dark fruits along with some cola. I think another year in the bottle would make this wine fabulous, but as always, what do I know? The palate revealed the dark fruits, consisting of more black cherry, blackberry, blueberry, vanilla, white pepper, and cedar. I know what you are thinking....cedar? Yes, not oak, it was more of a smoked cedar taste, a bit overwhelming at first, but integrating nicely with more time in the glass. The finish was short and sweet, maybe 20 seconds, but it was nice.

All and all, another great Santa Rita Hills wine that I would love to drink again. 90 points out of 100. Thanks Raph!

2001 Fess Parker Syrah

This was such a treat tonight at Chrissy's house for the first annual "Bordentown Supper Club" dinner party. The theme that Chrissy picked as the host of our first theme was Moroccan, so what better to bring than a nice California syrah.

For a syrah, this was a borderline fruit bomb, bursting with plum and cherry, with hints of soil on the nose, and a nice burgundy color in the glass. On the palate, the plum and dark cherry prevailed, mixed with other dark fruits. When first popped and poured, this wine was extremely tannic, but thankfully the tannins settled out with just 20-30 minutes of air, and this wine turned out to be fabulous.

One thing that was not syrah-esque of this wine was the fact that it was not overly spicy, and didn't have the peppery hints that are typical of California syrah. This was almost structured more like a pinot noir, which although odd, I am not complaining about in the least.

This wine from this vintage is a must find, and I look forward to finding some more since it is such a great QPR! Should hold up to a few more years in the bottle with proper storage. Complimented Moroccan food perfectly! All in all, 90 points!