More joys of South America

Coffee at Ceiba is a French press of South or Latin American beans, served promptly and poured for you. It's very good. Everything I tried at Ceiba was very good, from the Hemingway Mohito to the "Cheesecake" pudding served in a tiny cup with small slices of cake to the side. Gazpacho comes with the ingredients laid out in a long narrow trough-like bowl over which a rich golden tomato soup is poured (superb). On a down note, my cold jerk chicken soup was a little bit off - it tasted like it sat on a burner in a pot for 10 minutes too long. Oysters fried with (I think) a blue-corn crust and stuffed with blue cheese are succulent without being nasty or oily. Ceiba is by the same team that created DC Coast, another excellent restaurant. I thoroughly enjoyed dinner there with my wife and parents last evening. I wish I had written down the exact name of the Carmenere I tried since it was good and affordable. I'll do some checking and relay that info here when I have it.

I've been trying more South American wines lately looking for good value. I tried the 2002 Salentein Cabernet Sauvignon from Mendoza (Argentina) earlier this week. It has a very different character than Californian Cab or French Bordeaux or Australian Shiraz. Regrettably I didn't care for that unique and welcomed difference. It left a chalky, unpleasant feel in the mouth and was a bit astringent. I would understand this in a less expensive wine (say, under $12) but I found it unforgiveable at this price range ($17).

I also tasted this year's release of the 2003 Catena Malbec. Malbec is pretty distinctive when done well and Catena is one of the more reliable producers of the variety. The 2003 is dry, dark and intense. It has a very earthy aroma almost like mulch. There is significant sweetness, especially on the tip of the tongue, but this flavor is almost entirely masked by intense tannins that attack the back of your mouth. It's not a "fruit-forward" wine by any means. You'll want to pair this with pretty heavy foods. If you're looking for a change of pace or to impress your friends the Catena is a good choice. It's not a bargain (north of $20 usually) but it's a more reliable option than some random Malbec you haven't tried before.

To summarize my experience so far - when buying inexpensive South American wine seek out Carmenere and Malbec, avoid Carbernet.

This weekend the Manor is doing an informal wine tasting. I hope to take a number of pictures and gather opinions from our guests to do a bit of comparison. I'll serve Prosesco, Riesling, Zin, Pinot and a Cab of some kind. Hopefully at least one of those wines will be a hit!