Thursday, May 19, 2016

The Sip Awards


SPIRITS TASTING EVENT - THE SIP AWARDS
Newport Beach, CA  
Join us for our annual Spirits Tasting at Hyatt Newport Beach, CA. Taste and evaluate over 30+ spirits from all over the world while enjoying the beautiful Newport Beach venue.
In a blind tasting, do you think you have what it takes to spot your favorite alcohol brands?

*Categories include: Vodka, Gin, Tequila, Mezcal, Whiskey, Scotch, Cognac, Bourbon, Liqueurs, Moonshine, Infused Spirits, Mixers, and many others.

Some of the exciting aspects of the event:

  • Over 30+ beverage samples to evaluate in a blind tasting
  • Learn how to effectively taste fine spirits from Professor Neat
  • Appetizers and beverages will be served
  • Many chances to win prizes and gifts throughout the event
  • Social Media wall and contests
  • DJ Mike Soltani and professional photographers
  • A very fun and unique experience
*** 20% off of ticket prices with this code: HITIME20

For more info and to purchase tickets, please visit the below link:

South Africa Food & Wine Safari: Success!


South Africa! Our wine and food "safari" earlier this month (Sat. May 14th) featuring Buitenverwachting, Excelsior, Morgenster & Raats, with authentic braai (bbq) from Perky's South African Food & Catering, was a huge success! Pictures from the event are located here: http://www.c3lt.com/Hi-Time/South-Africa-Wine-Food-Safari/

Nugan Estate: Awesome Australian Wines!

 by Tobin Sharp


Nugan Estate is a premium producer of estate grown wine based in Griffith, New South Wales, Australia.
It is part of the Nugan Group, which was founded in 1940 on fruit and vegetable packing and expanded in the 1970s into juice production – later becoming one of the largest exporters of niche juice products to Asia. In 1993 Nugan Group further diversified its operations planting vineyards and selling fruit under contract. From there, winemaking was a natural progression.
Today Nugan Estate owns 590 hectares of vineyards in Australia’s finest wine growing regions of Riverina, King Valley and McLaren Vale – making it the 18th largest vineyard holders in Australia. In addition, Nugan Estate sources premium quality grape from the renowned Coonawarra region.
Family operated by Michelle, Matthew and Tiffany Nugan, Nugan Estate is one of Australia’s Top 20 Wine Exporters and is complemented by a premium wine portfolio, extra virgin olive oil and the award winning Griffith restaurant, Michelin.
Matt Nugan visited our shop not too long ago on a promo tour and, lucky for us, brought his wines along for us to sample. Impressed would be an understatement when it comes to our reaction on the quality of his family wines and their more-than-fair (downright bargain!) pricing. Stunned? That might be it. The wines were fantastic, showcasing Aussie terroir and the amount of sunshine they get (Beautiful ripe fruit? Yes, please!). In American parlance, a clear home run-- in Aussie, an easy "sixer" (in cricket terms, of course!).


Nugan Estate 2012 Riverina "Drover's Hut" Chardonnay $14.95 [378098]
Easy-drinking, balanced, clean Chardonnay. The nose shows tropical fruits, orchard fruits, sweet brown spices and a touch of lemon grass. Great viscosity on the palate with flavors of more stone fruits, mango, white peach, lots of Fuji apple, and a touch of minerality in the finish. Enjoy with or without food-- pairs perfectly with sunny days and easy company.


ANTONIO GALLONI 90 POINTS
- "Light yellow. Ripe nectarine, melon and tangerine on the fragrant nose and in the mouth. In a lush, open-knit style, with a jolt of bracing acidity adding lift and focus. Picks up a stony, almost Chablis-like hint of minerality on the finish, which lingers with very good tenacity and focus."
 
Nugan Estate 2013 Riverina "Stomper's" Cabernet Sauvignon $14.95 [381848]
Cherry fruit fills the nose as touches of olive tapenade, black licorice and ripe rapsberry fill in the gaps, all surmounted by a layer of mint and hint of tobacco-- enticing and fairly complex for this price niveau. The palate is lush and loaded with cherries and raspberries but not cloying. Savory touches of forest floor, spice box and black pepper add to the ripe red fruits. The finish is clean and uplifting as bracing acidity and brisk tannins keep it looking up. A great warm weather red, keep a few bottles of "Stomper's" handy when the grill comes out and the company arrives.
ANTONIO GALLONI 90 POINTS - "Brilliant ruby. Fresh, spice-tinged dark berries and cherry on the nose, with notes of floral oils and cured tobacco adding complexity. Bright cherry and blackcurrant flavors show good depth as well as vivacity, with a jolt of black pepper adding spicy bite. Finishes floral and gently sweet, leaving a hint of candied rose behind."

 
 Nugan Estate 2012 Coonawarra "Alcira Vineyard" Cabernet Sauvignon $21.98 [378428]
Eucalyptus and mint, two classic descriptors for the Aussie terroir, are clearly in the nose as hints of pencil lead and fennel are surmounted by dark red fruits, jammy raspberry and cassis: beautiful, rich and deep. The tannins in this "Alcira" Cab are fine and silky, uplifting broad flavors of dark cherries, cassis and cacao. A pinch of spice and earth lead to a long, smooth finish with, again, lasting deep, dark red fruits.

Nugan Estate 2012 Riverina "Scruffy's" Shiraz $14.95 [378497]
Concentrated raspberry and boysenberry fruit fill the nose, almost a jammy, fruit-leather version, as bits of red licorice, mint, cherry cola and herbal woodiness create a fine supporting cast of scents. In the mouth, fresh fruits reign, sweet berries, cherries and raspberries; light herbals, black tea and incense weave their way between the sweet fruit, adding depth and richness. Easy to quaff, perfectly delightful, great for Spring and Summer.
ANTONIO GALLONI 90 POINTS - "Dark purple. Spicy blackcurrant and cherry aromas are complemented by Asian spices and floral oils. Lively and precise on the palate, offering gently sweet, incisive dark fruit flavors and a hint of spicecake. Finishes on a gentle tannic note, with very good clarity and an echo of candied flowers."

Nugan Estate 2013 Alfredo "Second Pass" Shiraz $19.95 [381882]
The "Second Pass" Shiraz is sourced from the Nugan family’s premium vineyards in Australia. After fermentation, the wine was pressed onto the pomace and yeast lees of our premium “Alfredo” Dry Grape Shiraz adding to the wines’ intensity, á la the Ripasso style found in Italy's Valpolicella region. Thereafter, the wine was matured in French and American oak for 12 months resulting in a wine of concentration and quality.
Dark berries, mint leaf and herbal wood fills the nose as more scents reverberate: black licorice, strawberry tea, mixed brown spices, dark perfumed florals. Sweet fruit buoyed by lush tannins start on the palate with more layers growing with each sip: cherries and berries meet breakfast tea and violet petals, rhubarb, tobacco, dark chocolate and brown earth. Sweet, rich, complex. The tannins and excellent acidity keep it aloft and light on the palate even with all its richness of flavor. Great with grilled meats (from lamb to cow) and game, strong hard cheeses.
ANTONIO GALLONI 92 POINTS - "Inky purple. Heady, expansive aromas of dark fruit liqueur, potpourri and incense, with a hint of smoky minerality adding vivacity. Offers juicy, penetrating cherry and dark berry flavors and an exotic floral pastille quality that builds in the glass. Shows excellent clarity and thrust on the finish, with silky tannins coming in late."

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Sake Adventures

by Veronica Castro

In consideration to any readers whose web browsers might not not translate the accent mark at the "e" spelled on Saké, from here on I will refer to this unique beverage as sake (without the accent mark). Ok! Let's move on!

First off, an announcement: If you are not already aware, our big Sake event is today (Wednesday, May 18th) at the Winebar from 6:00-8:00pm. Please make it if you can!

This is a highly-anticipated Sake tasting that we are having at Hi-Time, with 10 Sakes, ranging in tastes from dry as a Martini, to a sake tasting like you've just bit in to a slice of fresh cantaloupe, to the ethereal, to the best plum wine I've ever had. All of the Sakes are limited and highly regarded, so it is an honor to have these available to our customers.

If you want to gain a quick appreciation of the painstaking process of making Sake, check out the movie,"The Birth of Sake"(available on Netflix). Click here to view the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K2bIAikUg4


For some small-production Sakes, like some which we will be tasting, the workers live at the Sake brewery, away from their families for 6 months out of the year in spartan communal settings, tending to the Sake around the clock. There's a lot of personal sacrifice that goes into this craft which we rarely consider... it's fascinating. We will also taste two sakes from the brewery featured in the movie.

The tasting will cost $20 and will include snacks. Seating is first come, first served, no reservations required.

Here is the line-up of what we will be tasting. Boom!

Kokuryu Junmai "Kuzuryu" (Nine-Headed Dragon), Kokuryu Junmai Ginjo (Black Dragon), Kokuryu Junmai Daiginjo "Ryu" (Gold Dragon), Tamagawa "Kinsho" (Heart of Gold), Tedorigawa Junmai Daiginjo "Iki na Onna" (Lady Luck), Tedorigawa Nama Daiginjo "Kinka" (Gold Blossom), Koshi no Kanbai Ginjo "Tokusen" (Vanishing Point), Dewazakura Ginjo "Oka" (Cherry Bouquet), Dewazakura Ginjo "Izumi Judan" (Tenth Degree), Dewazakura Junmai Daiginjo "Ichiro" (Abbey Road), Kamoizumi "Umeshu" (Umelicious, plum wine).

This will be a great tasting and a lot of fun. Tassho Pearce from World Sake Imports will be pouring and presenting the Sakes. Hope to see you there!

Last week was a whirlwind of activity, as we had many producers and importers from Japan visiting in Southern California to show us the latest and greatest in the Sake world.

It was a huge honor and treat to hear Sake legends John Gauntner and Marcus Pakiser speak and get advice. John (pictured right) is the author of many books on Sake, and teaches a professional Sake course (see http://sake-world.com/for more information), and Marcus (left) is Director of Sake for Young’s Market Company. Marcus is a Sake ambassador. During their presentations, they made the message clear, that Sake is not just to pair with Sushi… it can be much more, and pair with just about any type of food. Grilled meats, pastas, you name it! Did you know that Sake is both Sulfite free and Gluten free? Yes, indeed!

We were also fortunate to meet Tetsuyasu Sato, President of Takasago Sake Brewery in Hokkaido (the northernmost prefecture in Japan, at right) who makes the limpid, beautiful, delicate Ginga Shizuku “Divine Droplets” Junmai Daiginjo.



“Divine Droplets” is made drop-by-drop or by "drip-press method" (Shizuku), using fermented sake rice in cloth bags, then hanging them in an igloo (of sorts) for fermentation. The sake is made with a minimal amount of pressure, keeping the sake with deep impact and with beautiful aromatics. This is the only sake in the world that is made in such a way. Above is a picture of the Ice Dome.

We move on to Miho Fujit, one of the few female Presidents of a Sake brewery (pictured below). Her brewery, Mioya Shuzo in Ishikawa prefecture, makes the Sake known as Yuho. The sake with the yellow label, “Rhythm of the Centuries” is brewed in the method called Yama-oroshi, a rhythmic pole-ramming technique used to mix the yeast starter for this Kimoto sake. It gives the sake complex, pronounced flavors. The sake is aged for approximately four years, which rounds out the edges of the sake’s flavor and creates overall smoothness, and intensity of flavor. This traditional method has been used at Mioya brewery for over a century. Miho suggests to drink this sake at room temperature in order to experience the full umami presence. She even advises to leave the sake open and unrefrigerated for days (or even weeks) during the time you consume it.

Did you know that (in most cases) an opened bottle of Sake which has been refrigerated can last weeks or even months? Yes, indeed!

This (pictured right) is Yuichiro Tanaka of Rihaku Shuzo in Shimane Prefecture. He is both President and Toji (Master Sake brewer) for Rihaku, and is holding a bottle of Wandering Poet, a sake which is both fruity and earthy. The Rihaku brewery is named in honor of Chinese poet, Li Po (which translates to Rihaku in Japanese), who had a fondness for Sake, and is known to have said, "I drink a bottle, and can write 100 poems.”















Did I mention this was a fun-filled, sake-filled week? Let's progress!
 Monday treated us to a special tasting held at the Sushi Institute of America, in Los Angeles. I was thrilled to learn that such a place even existed. Here, we had the chance to listen to the experienced Master of Sake, Toshio Ueno (pictured above left), as he presented us with a selection of ultra-premium Sakes. This was one of those rare opportunities to taste Sakes which many of us never saw, nor tasted.

We tasted Born Chogin (center bottle pictured to the right) was rich, but with many layers peeling off effortlessly. This particular sake, Toshio mentioned that he had only tasted once before. A humbling experience. It was impressive to say the least.

We also tasted Born Nihon no Tsubasa aged Junmai Daiginjo "Wing of Japan" (pictured left). "Wing of Japan" was quite complex, with both savory and mildly sweet flavors, something a wine-drinker might warm up to, with cherry and apple notes, changing to light vegetal flavors, and savory and back to fruit. It was a sake to spend the evening contemplating.

Do you like pears? As for myself, I love them-- and that was the major flavor I found present in the sake from Tatenokawa. This (the sake known as Tatenokawa 18, named in reference to it's rice polishing rate) was a richly textured sake and rounded on the palate, sake full of lychee, pineapple, banana and pear, finishing with a clean finish. Beautiful, complex, and thoroughly enjoyable. After the tasting, I noticed others also speaking of this sake. I mean, who doesn't like pear. Right?

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Quick Sips: Chateau Vannieres with Eric Boisseaux


Eric Boisseaux of Chateau Vannieres in Bandol sharing his great wines with our French wine buyer Josh Hoover, including some with age from '88,'95, '01 and '09. The Rosé was delicious too. -Gary Faust

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Italian Winemaker Alessandro Cellai Visits Hi-Time

by Gary Faust
 
It was quite an honor to welcome Italian winemaker, Alessandro Cellai to Hi Time Wine Cellars. He is quite versatile and talented, producing wine from two estates with two very different terroirs.

From Sicily, the Feudi del Pisciotto estate showcases some of the island’s native varietals as well as some “international varietals.” Cellai believes three indigenous grapes from Sicily show the character of the island and what is possible in this unique micro-climate. The Grillo, Nero d'Avola and Frappato are excellent examples of wine with true Sicilian character.


Feudi del Pisciotto includes what is probably the greatest intact example of a gravity-fed winery. Incredibly, this was used by the ancient Romans and Greeks who knew a thing or two about making wine. Photos of the interior of this historic building are amazing. Today, many winemakers are building gravity-fed winemaking facilities, an acknowledgement that the process is still very relevant and results in gentle and efficient handling of their grapes and wine.

The bottles of Feudi del Pisciotto have labels featuring the artwork of prominent Italian designers including Versace and Valentino. The artists agreed to allow use of their art as a portion of the sales go toward the renovation and restoration of historic Sicilian art and culture. In tasting through the lineup, we found the wines were expressive, delicious and surprisingly affordable. The designer series wines are shown on the right side of the photo included in this blog (at the top of the page).

We also tasted the Rocca Di Frassinello wines from the appellation of Maremma in Tuscany. Rocca Di Frassinello is a unique joint venture of two incredible producers coming together to craft wine in the rolling hills of Tuscany. The parties involved are Castellare di Castellina from Chianti and the legendary Bordeaux producer Lafite-Rothschild. Their Rocca di Frassinello project couples Castellare’s experience in growing Sangiovese with Lafite’s experience growing classic French varietals including Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

Rocca Di Frassinello showcases a stunning winery, most of which is built underground. The modern looking facility contains the largest barrel room in the world. The impressive structure is often host to recitals and performances.

The character of the wine is different than many other expressions of Tuscany such as Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, and Nobile Di Montepulciano. These Super Tuscans feature Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese. They are rich, full-bodied wines which give great pleasure!

The Poggio alla Guardia is an over-achiever, which was our Wine of the Month 2 last July. The 2012 is even better than the 2011 so we will be bringing it into the store in a big way. All the wines from this winery were full-bodied with rich, ripe fruit and smooth tannins.

What a treat it was to spend time with such a talented winemaker. Alessandro was very generous with his time and knowledge. His wines from two very different regions share one common trait- they’re fantastic!

Friday, May 6, 2016

Diplomático Rum

by Tobin Sharp

We had the opportunity to taste through Venezuela's Diplomático Rum lineup on Thursday, May 5th.  The Ambassador and Single Vintage 2002 were exquisite and the entire lineup was excellent; a rich, fairly sweet style of rum with excellent rounded viscosity, honeyed vanillins and varying degrees of depth and influence (depending on the type of barrels used for aging).  There is also much value to be found in the Añejo and Reserva Exclusiva bottlings and most surprising to me, as I hadn't tasted it before, was how great the Diplomático Blanco is.  This is a Blanco you can sip neat and enjoy with much more complexity that one would think could exist in a white rum-- it's aged six years and filtered 5 to 6 times to remove the color (but not the flavor!).

History:
Rum Diplomático was established in 1959 out of a partnership between Venezuela's best rum distilleries and Seagram's International and its Reserva Exclusiva formed part of their "Rare Rums of The Caribbean" collection.  After Seagram's sold the distilleries back to its Venezuela distillers and operators, Rum Diplomático continued to build on its past success.  In the 2000s, the line was extended to include an aged blanco, a two year añejo, an eight year reserva, along with, of course, the twelve year Reserva Exclusiva.  In the past ten years, Rum Diplomático has become the most awarded rum in the world, and its master distiller, Tito Cordero, is the only person to have wone "Master Blend of the Year" two time (2011, 2013) from London's Golden Rum Barrel Awards.  The Rum Diplomático distilleries were the first in Venezuela to be certified with ISO 14001 in recognition of its environmental initiatives.  In 2014, a Drinks International survey revealed the Rum Diplomático is the #1 Trendiest Rum in America's Hottest Bars.

Here's the lineup on our website: Diplomático

Añejo - aged 4 years, column still distillation process, with a Caribbean essence

Blanco - aged 6 years, white rum, filtered 5 to 6 times removing all color

Reserva - aged 8 years, batch distillation in small oak barrels

Reserva Exclusiva - aged 12 years, blend of copper pot still rums, 80% heavy rums and 20% light rums

Single Vintage 2002 - perfect blend from the year 2002, aged in American white oak barrels and finished in sherry casks, limited edition

Ambassador - aged minimum 12 years, 47% ABV, crafted from 100% heavy pot still rums