A friend brought it over for a dinner party and I found myself surprisingly enjoying this red wine. It doesn't have too much of the tannin-ness and felt pretty smooth overall.
Cost: $17.99
Official description: Over the past fifteen years, the White Rose Estate has established itself as one of the leading wineries in Dundee Hills. White Rose’s Black Thorn Cuvee is a blend of specially selected Pinots that would otherwise go into the estate’s Willamette Valley Cuvee. A lovely, youthful garnet color, White Rose’s Black Thorn Cuvee opens with aromas of dusty cherries, violets, woodruff, black pepper, game, and bitter orange peel. Spicy and vivacious on the palate, the Black Thorn Cuvee presents a core of sweet cherry fruit accented by nuances of cinnamon, caramel, menthol and dark earth. Long and bright on the finish, the wine leaves the palate with impressions of floral potpourri, red currants and tangy cherries. This is a superb value in elegant, suave, table-ready Willamette Valley Pinot. A lovely choice for warm weather dining, the Black Thorn’s soft tannins ensure that the wine can take a light chill and refresh throughout the spring, summer and fall – and year ’round over the coming two years.
Did I like this: Yes.
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Abbaye de Belloc
I got this at the recommendation of a lady who was doing tastings for Fromager d'Affinois at the Cheese Store (a soft Brie-like cheese, I think I liked it but wanted to get hard cheeses) but saw me get Midnight Moon and mentioned that it was one her favorites too. Then as I was writing up this post, I realized I'd had it before at the cheese tasting class I went to. Fortunately I'm fairly consistent in my tastes.
Cost: $24.99
Official description: Sheep, hard-ripened, Pyrenees, France. (previous post had the additional description: "Hearty, Robust, Caramel. There are 3 capital regions of sheep milk cheese: La Mancha, Spain (Manchego), Tuscany, Italy (Pecorino Toscano), and the French Pyrenees. The milk of this region results in a caramellish finish in the cheese.")
Did I like this: Yes.
Milky and salty though overall fairly mild, relatively soft in texture. Previously I also noted that it had a nutty finish.
Cost: $24.99
Official description: Sheep, hard-ripened, Pyrenees, France. (previous post had the additional description: "Hearty, Robust, Caramel. There are 3 capital regions of sheep milk cheese: La Mancha, Spain (Manchego), Tuscany, Italy (Pecorino Toscano), and the French Pyrenees. The milk of this region results in a caramellish finish in the cheese.")
Did I like this: Yes.
Milky and salty though overall fairly mild, relatively soft in texture. Previously I also noted that it had a nutty finish.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Cave-aged Gruyere
Picked this up from the Cheese Store on a bit of whim, I just knew before that I like Gruyere in grilled cheese sandwiches.
Cost: $19.99/lb
Official description: nutty, satisfying, versatile. Raw cow, hard-ripened, Switzerland.
Did I like this: Yes.
Good, solid cheese to have around for snacking on. Not particularly distinctive in one way or another, except perhaps you do get the taste of cow's milk in it, but enjoyable nonetheless.
Cost: $19.99/lb
Official description: nutty, satisfying, versatile. Raw cow, hard-ripened, Switzerland.
Did I like this: Yes.
Good, solid cheese to have around for snacking on. Not particularly distinctive in one way or another, except perhaps you do get the taste of cow's milk in it, but enjoyable nonetheless.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Fiore Sardo
This was recommended by a guy at the Whole Foods in Union Square after I got half a pound of Midnight Moon and told him that was my favorite cheese.
Cost: $15.99/lb.
Official description: I don't remember the entire description on the Whole Foods placard for this, but it something about being a good salty sheep's milk hard cheese. The cheesemonger said it's good with both snacks and grated over pasta.
Did I like this: Yes.
I think it's pretty similar to Midnight Moon, though without the crystals and of sheep's milk instead of goat's milk. Perhaps the key is just that I like salty hard cheeses. This one tastes pretty creamy, too. Interestingly, the bits of this cheese near the rind have more of that blue cheese taste, but I don't mind it.
Cost: $15.99/lb.
Official description: I don't remember the entire description on the Whole Foods placard for this, but it something about being a good salty sheep's milk hard cheese. The cheesemonger said it's good with both snacks and grated over pasta.
Did I like this: Yes.
I think it's pretty similar to Midnight Moon, though without the crystals and of sheep's milk instead of goat's milk. Perhaps the key is just that I like salty hard cheeses. This one tastes pretty creamy, too. Interestingly, the bits of this cheese near the rind have more of that blue cheese taste, but I don't mind it.
Monte Enebro
Outside of going to a cheese tasting or class, I've decided to start asking cheesemongers for their suggestions on a new kind of cheese to try along with old favorites I'm re-stocking on. A guy at the Garden of Eden told me this was his favorite cheese.
Cost: $30.99/lb.
Official description: Aged goat cheese. Sharp to strong taste. Imported from Spain.
Did I like this: eh.
I think I'll stop buying aged goat cheeses from now on, since I didn't much like the Cheese Store's Crottin either. I'll try new ones but typically I have cheese as a snack with apples or with a scrambled egg breakfast on the weekends and anything that's like a blue cheese for me is best with some honey and I have to be in the right mood for it. So if I'm going to have some at home, it should probably only be in really small quantities like leftovers from a tasting and not an independently purchased block.
Cost: $30.99/lb.
Official description: Aged goat cheese. Sharp to strong taste. Imported from Spain.
Did I like this: eh.
I think I'll stop buying aged goat cheeses from now on, since I didn't much like the Cheese Store's Crottin either. I'll try new ones but typically I have cheese as a snack with apples or with a scrambled egg breakfast on the weekends and anything that's like a blue cheese for me is best with some honey and I have to be in the right mood for it. So if I'm going to have some at home, it should probably only be in really small quantities like leftovers from a tasting and not an independently purchased block.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Comte Rivoire Jacquemin
Since I had like that Trois Comte so much, I thought I'd try a younger Comte to see if that appealed as well.
Cost: $15.99/lb.
Official description: raw cow hard-ripened, Franche Comte, France.
Did I like this: Eh.
I thought that this basically had the weirdness in the taste of the Trois Comte (not necessarily bad, just a bit weird) but with more of a rubbery texture and none of the fun crystal action that comes with age. So perhaps I don't like all Comte cheeses, just the really aged ones.
Cost: $15.99/lb.
Official description: raw cow hard-ripened, Franche Comte, France.
Did I like this: Eh.
I thought that this basically had the weirdness in the taste of the Trois Comte (not necessarily bad, just a bit weird) but with more of a rubbery texture and none of the fun crystal action that comes with age. So perhaps I don't like all Comte cheeses, just the really aged ones.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Gouda
I did some intense Googling and discovered that gouda is at least one kind of cheese that often comes in a black wax rind. So I tasted a few samples from a very friendly cheesemonger at Garden of Eden and I think this was it, that mysterious cheese from June that I liked so much! And then I went a bit nuts and bought all kinds of gouda from him...
Cost: $14.99/lb.
Official description: Raw milk farmhouse gouda made from cow's milk and aged for 2 years. Prized by cheese experts. Try it and see why! Imported from Holland.
Did I like this: Yes! This is the one that looked most similar to the cheese I remembered, with a plain black wax rind.
Cost: $15.99/lb.
Official description: Aged cow's milk cheese. Very complex flavor. This is a true Boerenkass. This cheese similar in texture to parmigiano reggiano. Very firm and flaky. Imported from Holland.
Did I like this: Yes! This cheese is amazing. Very, very hard and at times I had to gnaw on it a bit to soften it sufficiently, but amazing salty-complex flavor.
I might have to consider getting a hard cheese knife/slicer for this kind of cheese. Seems like generally I prefer the taste of really aged and hard cheeses.
Boerenkass Gouda - 2 yrs. old
Cost: $14.99/lb.
Official description: Raw milk farmhouse gouda made from cow's milk and aged for 2 years. Prized by cheese experts. Try it and see why! Imported from Holland.
Did I like this: Yes! This is the one that looked most similar to the cheese I remembered, with a plain black wax rind.
Old Amsterdam aged gouda
Cost: $17.99/lb.
Official description: Old Amsterdam has a smooth, rich, and robust taste. It is a multi-award winning cheese. Perfect on a cheeseboard and in a variety of recipes. Bring to room temperature before serving. Aged gouda type cheese. Has a nice buttery aftertaste. Imported from Holland.
Did I like this: Yes! The description is right about this being better after it's been brought to room temperature. This is the one that the cheesemonger happened to be packaging up and gave me a sample that first hooked me on the idea that gouda was it.
Farmer's 4 yrs. old aged gouda
Cost: $15.99/lb.
Official description: Aged cow's milk cheese. Very complex flavor. This is a true Boerenkass. This cheese similar in texture to parmigiano reggiano. Very firm and flaky. Imported from Holland.
Did I like this: Yes! This cheese is amazing. Very, very hard and at times I had to gnaw on it a bit to soften it sufficiently, but amazing salty-complex flavor.
I might have to consider getting a hard cheese knife/slicer for this kind of cheese. Seems like generally I prefer the taste of really aged and hard cheeses.
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