Blacksmith Restaurant + Bar + Lounge presents ZanZibar Cellars’ first-ever wine dinner on Tuesday May 20th, at which winemaker Ziad Keirouz will also unveil his winery’s first-ever chardonnay release. Wine Spectator magazine recently named Keirouz among influential new winemakers. For the dinner, Chef Gavin McMichael, sommelier Kevin Gilman and winemaker Keirouz will collaborate on a five-course menu paired with selections from ZanZibar. This exclusive dinner is $95 per person. To make a reservation please call 541-318-0588.

Menu for the Zanzibar Cellars Wine Dinner

Course One
Oregon Chantrelle Bisque
Paired with 2006 ZanZibar Playa Sol (Chardonnay)

Course Two
Pork Roulade with Country Pate, Roasted Red Potatoes, Braised Washington Brussel Sprouts, and Juniper Foie Gravy
Paired with 2005 ZanZibar Casima (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Sangiovese)

Course Three
Smoked Sea Salt Crusted Hangar Steak with Oregon Stone Fruit Compote
Paired with 2005 ZanZibar Sandra (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah)

Course Four
Roasted Rack of Venison with Huckleberry Sherry Gastrique, and Carolina Gold Rice Cakes, and Marcona Almonds
Paired with Non Vintage ZanZibar Sandra Solera (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah)

Course Five
Trio of Housmade Sorbet

Filed under: Events, Wine :: Paul @ 2:30 pm
Tags: Kevin Gilman, Wine, Zanzibar Cellars, Ziad Keirouz

Bottle: 2006 Brewer-Clifton “Seasmoke” Chardonnay
Varietal: Chardonnay
Winery: Brewer-Clifton
Location: Santa Rita Hills, California

Brewer-Clifton is a collaborate effort between two gifted winemakers: Greg Brewer (Melville, Diatom) and Steve Clifton (Ash Hollow, Palmina, Tritono).  The two up-and-comers joined together to start Brewer-Clifton in the early 1990s, and have had a ton of success.

Not many producers get the chance to source fruit from the prestigious Seasmoke vineyard.  Planted mostly with Pinot Noir, Brewer-Clifton gained access to three acres of Seasmoke Chardonnay.  With a little over 5,000 bottles produced, my expectations are at an all-time high for a domestic Chardonnay.

California Chardonnay, to me, always seems to lack the acids and minerality to make anything worthy of comparison to white Burgundy.  There are definite exceptions to the rule (Hanzell comes to mind).   The American palate has become so in love with over-oaked, buttery Chardonnays that wine makers have done their best to please the masses and not make wines that can compete on a global scale.  In my humble opinion, Santa Barbara has the greatest potential for French style Burgundian varietals, due to a long growing season that doesn’t get too hot (which will over-ripen the grapes).

At a retail price of around $70, this wine is nearly impossible to find outside of restaurants, so be prepared to pay around $110 if you do find a bottle at your favorite place to eat.  Sporting a whopping 16% alcohol, this wine is unbearably hot off the bat, but quickly dissipates, thankfully, to reveal a nose of lemon citrus, key lime pie, and green apples sautéed in clarified butter.  The acidity is lacking on the first glass, but just seems to be masked by alcohol.  By the second glass there are undeniable notes of flint, and pineapple, while the acids become more and more present.  It has now become clearer that this is a very serious Chardonnay.

On the palate, while still hot, the alcohol isn’t as noticeable as on the nose.  The acids seem to jump on the palate to almost create a spritzy sensation.  The mouthfeel is lightly viscous and oily, and the flavor profile seems a little more muted than I was hoping for.  Soft notes of pineapple, kiwi fruit, lemon, and starfruit are right up front on the palate with a finish of nutmeg, lemon-lime, and chalk… but the heat is too much to get around.

A little age on this wine will probably do it wonders as long as some of the alcohol burns off.  It really is a nice effort and for me it ranks high on the scales for California Chardonnay, but personally it doesn’t live up to the expectations for something so hard to come by and for something that carries the prestigious Seasmoke name.  If you are into hot, high alcohol wines, then this is for you.  If you are someone looking for a little more balance, then this might not be your bag.

A little food does this wine wonders, and I can see this wine going well with grilled salmon and lemon wedges, with a salad of grilled spinach, cucumbers, strawberries,  and almonds.  Along with focaccia crostini topped with creamy goat cheese.

Remember, that I am only one palate and this is a very respected producer and I feel that many people will disagree with me on my outcome.  I enjoyed the wine, but can think of others that would please me a little more.  I am fortunate enough to have been given another bottle of this, so I will give it some time and revisit, and I promise to write about my tasting. 
 
Salute!!

Kevin

Filed under: Wine :: Kevin Gilman @ 9:32 am
Tags: Brewer-Clifton, California, Kevin Gilman, review, Santa Rita Hills, Wine

This week The Blacksmith’s Wednesday after-work Wine Tasting features wines from Woodward Canyon, a Washington winery located in the Columbia Valley. A representative from Woodward Canyon will be on site to pour and discuss Woodward Canyon wines. The winery is known for Cabernet Sauvignon.

During April, Kevin Gilman, the Blacksmith’s sommelier, will host Wednesday Wine Tastings. Cost is $10 to taste approximately eight wines, and every week will feature different vineyards, varietals, vertical tastings and other fun ways to experience the beauty of the bottle.

Filed under: Events, Wednesday Tastings, Wine :: Paul @ 10:21 am
Tags: Kevin Gilman, Wednesday Tastings, Wine, Woodward Canyon

Bottle: 2006 EIEIO “Cuvee I”
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Winery: EIEIO
Location: Willamette Valley, OR

EIEIO was started by Jay McDonald in 1995. (Old McDonald had a farm… very clever!)  He started this label as a negociant making 200 cases of wine, and grew the name into a full winery, tasting room and all.  The reason for this growth… Mr. McDonald can make Pinot!!

EIEIO makes several single vineyard designates as well as a couple of cuvees’.  This is the most recent vintage of the Cuvee I.  A cuvee is a distinctive selected blend. In my opinion this must be Jay’s version of creating a sort of Burgundian village wine, which means Pinot Noir is sourced from several vineyard sites selected from a few different areas of the same region and blended together.  I researched the wine a little and couldn’t find much on which vineyards are blended in making this wine.

When I pulled the cork the wine showed colors of dark violets, with notes of brick red and light brown.  The nose was very tight and revealed very dark, dark aromas and flavors of chocolate-covered raspberries, and baked red dirt.  The flavors on the palate are much bigger than the sniff on the nose, but the wine seemed to grow on my palate and finished for a real, real, long time.  On the long finish I even got a little taste of strawberries and watermelon Jolly Rancher.

The Cuvee I is very tannic for a Pinot, which in my opinion, would allow it to drink well for another 10 years or so.  This makes it a little more approachable after a little air exposure.  A once fairly muted nose turns into a potpourri of violets, roses, cinnamon and nutmeg, with an aroma in the background similar to ready mix concrete.  The palate remains very dry with very dark, spicy flavors.  The acids become more present with a little O2, as does the alcohol.  At 14.5% it isn’t an extremely hot wine, but a little burn is present.  To me, Pinot Noir needs a little heat due to the amount of fermentation needed to get it dry.  Being such a delicate grape, the alcohol is a little more noticeable in Pinot Noir.

Being soft and subtle, but having such a long and bold finish makes this a fabulous food wine.  Lamb and duck are my favorite pairings for Pinot Noir, as well as a softer cut of beef like tenderloin filet.  Anyone who has drunk a Pinot Noir along with a mouthful of seared duck fat knows the true meaning of happiness.  Add these proteins to some earthy flavors like mushrooms and some cheeses, and you will find something special.
I wouldn’t call this the most complex Pinot Noir I’ve ever had, but it remains very true to the varietal, being that it isn’t over extracted and proves that Oregon still has some soft, silky, sexy Pinot out there.  In my opinion EIEIO is making some serious Pinot Noir.  All of their cuvees and all of their single vineyards take on their own characteristics.  They are really working hard to express the terroir of each site harvested and every cuvee made.  I promise to review more of these gems in the future, to discover their significance a little more in depth. 

Enjoy the vino!
Kevin

Filed under: Wine :: Kevin Gilman @ 9:32 am
Tags: EIEIO, Kevin Gilman, Oregon, Pinot Noir, review, Willamette Valley, Wine

Here’s a low-cost opportunity to taste great wines with guidance from experts. The Blacksmith Restaurant has started Wednesday Tastings after work, and each month spotlights a different beverage. During April, Kevin Gilman, the Blacksmith’s sommelier, will host Wednesday Wine Tastings. Cost is $10 to taste approximately eight wines, and every week will feature different vineyards, varietals, vertical tastings and other fun ways to experience the beauty of the bottle.

Join Kevin Gilman and Rick Maurer from D’Vine Wine Co. this evening, starting at 5, for big Washington reds from Sheridan, Fidelitas, K Vintners, Five Star Cellars and Bergevin Lane.

Filed under: Events, Wednesday Tastings, Wine :: Paul @ 3:11 pm
Tags: D'Vine Wine Co, Kevin Gilman, Rick Maurer, Wednesday Tastings

Bottle: 2006 K Vintners “The Boy”
Varietal: 94% Grenache - 6% Syrah
Winery: K Vintners
Location: Walla Walla, Washington

“I’m the boy that can enjoy invisibility” – Serge Gainsbourg

Charles Smith started K Vintners in 2001 with a focus on making Syrah… (K Syrah, Syrah - get it?)  It is no wonder he put his winery in Walla Walla, Washington where Syrah takes on many of the same characteristics as it does in the Rhone Valley.  “The Boy” however steps away from the norm in Walla Walla and is predominately Grenanche in this vintage.

The above quote, which is written on the back label, must (I’m only guessing)  refer to the obscurity of Grenache.  There are many people who enjoy Chateaneuf du Pape, Vaqueras, and Gigondas not realizing that it is the Grenache with a little Syrah that makes them smile.  American Grenache by itself is not a top seller, maybe because the varietal name Grenache is actually less recognizable than the afore-mentioned French regions.  For me, Grenache shares more in common with Pinot Noir than any other grape.  When done right it has the most subtle, brilliant flavors found in grapes.

“The Boy” (at around $45) is hard to find, but worth the search.  While extremely tight right out of the gun, “The Boy” certainly evolves into a man after some time in the glass.  At 14.5% alcohol it starts very alcoholic on the nose.  I felt like my nasal cavities got a whiff of moonshine masking notes of tar, black cherry, and anise.  This blows off very quick however, and aromas of blueberries, raspberries, redwood, clove, and mulling spices take over.  The acids which barely seem present at first, start jumping out of the glass like Dwayne Wade.  While the nose starts off very creamy and very typical of Walla Walla wines, a little O2 turns this gem into a very southern Rhone-like experience.

The alcohol never quite dissipates on the palate, so if you like hot wines, this is for you.  However, it doesn’t mask the brilliant flavors that are ever evolving in this wine, and actually seems to compliment the spice, so I wasn’t disappointed by the heat.  Like the nose, the palate started off very tight with hardly any presence of acidity.  Molasses-covered cherries and Puerto Rican cigar saturate the taste buds, evolving into chocolate-covered cherries (the ones with the cream, not the liquid), cinnamon, pink cotton candy, and a taste that seems like raspberries mashed together with nutmeg and dirt.

I can see myself enjoying this wine with a baked ham served with a bacon mushroom sauce, topped with some gouda cheese along with a side of steamed artichokes tossed in a red bell pepper vinaigrette and topped with avocado.

Walla Walla, which is one of my personal favorite wine regions (if you haven’t been, please do yourself the favor), never ceases to amaze me.  There are such Rhone-style wines coming from here that it proves that great wines can be made anywhere, as long as desire and passion are present.

Until we meet again… Cheers!

Kevin

Filed under: Wine :: Kevin Gilman @ 9:32 am
Tags: Grenache, K Vintners, Kevin Gilman, review, Syrah, Walla Walla, Washington, Wine

Family, friends, co-workers, Blacksmith patrons… Salute!  This is my first post ever in my first blog ever.  I have been blessed to work with talented individuals who have the knowledge that allows me to express my love and passion for wine and deliver it directly to your computer.  For my first post I just want to talk a little about what I want to accomplish in this blog as well as introduce myself to those who don’t know me, and introduce myself further to the people who do.

My name is Kevin Gilman; I am the General Manager and Sommelier at The Blacksmith Restaurant.  I am a certified second-level Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, which is headquartered in Bordeaux, France.  There is a chapter in London, England as well as Napa Valley, California, where I have studied and am currently studying.

I have been working with wine for close to 10 years.  My resume includes experience in restaurants, wineries, tasting rooms, and distributors.  I have worked “crush” and made wine in three different vintages in three different AVAs (American Vinicultural Areas).  I can honestly say that my passion for wine grows each and every day.  It is something that always excites me and always stimulates my mind and my desire to learn.

My title is Sommelier, but those who know me know that I am more comfortable being called a wine geek or cork dork, because that honestly does better describe me.  Sommelier seems too uptight to me, although I am honored to carry the title, and it is something that I take very seriously.  There is nothing I enjoy more than talking wine with customers and turning them on to new things, as well as listening to them and learning and being turned on to new things myself.  It may sound corny but when I turn someone onto a new food/wine pairing and see the look of satisfaction and gratification in their eyes, it is like sharing a piece of my soul with them.  I learn something about wine every day and will continue to do so in order to satisfy my need, want, and desire to be the best.

Enough about me, let’s get to the blog.  First and foremost I want people to have the ability to write to me and respond to my posts and address me with any and all questions about wine.  I want to make sure that you all understand that to me there is no such thing as a stupid question.  I am happy to answer all questions wine, no matter what the topic or difficulty level.

I will be reviewing at least one wine a week.  I know there are people out there with much more name recognition than me who make their opinions easily available for all to read.  I can offer reviews that are a little more personal, because anyone can come into the restaurant and pick my brain.  I want people to get an understanding of what I like and what I enjoy, and that will allow me to make the best suggestions to my customers.

I will also be posting educational segments in which I am open for opinions and suggestions for topics to write about.  It is fun for me to stimulate the minds of people who are hungry to learn, or just a little curious about a couple of things.  So please feel free to fire away with questions.

I hope everybody has as much fun with this as I will, and I will look forward to sharing my mind and palate with all of you.

Cheers!

Kevin

P.S. Stay tuned for details about our Wednesday night tastings, retail wine prices, and member only wine club for the true wine geeks out there!

Filed under: Wine :: Kevin Gilman @ 10:50 am
Tags: Kevin Gilman, Sommelier, Wine