March came in like a...
2012
Colonia Las Liebres, Bonardo, Mendoza, Argentina
The Bonarda
grape varietal in Argentina has experienced a contested and confused history.
At one time classified in Argentina as Bonarda Piemontese from Italy, recent
studies contend that it is instead, an ancestor of Corbeau from Savoie, France.
Recent genetic tests were conducted in order to compare the Argentine rootstock
to those of Piemontese and Corbeau, and the study found identical molecular markers
to Corbeau. This same grape is vinified in California and called Charbono. –
A luminous
red-purple hue and expressive red and black fruits on the nose provide a strong
first impression of the unique Bonarda Argentina grape. On the palate the wine
is fresh and lively, with a silky, smooth mouthfeel and nice volume. This wine
receives no oak treatment in order to show the purest expression of the Bonarda grape. Enjoyed best
at temperatures from 60-64 °F.
Got this on a
close out price of around $8, I’ve had it before for $10. A good version of the
Bonardo grape – no oak, very little tannin, but nice acidity for heavier meals.
Nicely rounded with black and red fruit and a pleasant, not to long aftertaste.
Worth the price.
2011
Il Palagio, Message in a Bottle, Rosso Toscano, Tuscany, Italy
A complex
aroma of cherries, wild blackberries and spices. Sangiovese 70%, Syrah 15%, Merlot 15%
Aged in French oak barrels for 12 months
“…it is my personal opinion that the work that Trudie Styler, Sting and the entire Il Palagio team have done to create a vineyard filled with bio-dynamics and bio-diversity is paying off huge dividends. This wine is fantastically concentrated with pure, elegant expressions of varietals and local terroir. On the nose are huge aromas of wild blackberries/blueberries, musky notes like damp forest floor and wild mushrooms and the sophisticated finish of freshly crushed black peppercorns (thank you Syrah). The palate is fresh, clean, brisk and alive! Medium+ red currant/young raspberry acids work symbiotically with a full, fine yet chewy tannin structure to deliver flavors perfectly in-sync with the bouquet. Excellent balance, structure and concentration, this wine drinks superbly now (thanks to Merlot) but will reward cellaring. Enjoy 2015-2020+”
Of the Celebrity wines I tried, this was without a doubt the most food friendly of the bunch. Good acidity, nice fruit balance with some earth-tones, this would match many different styles of food. Not a bad sipper, it blooms with food. With a price around $20, this is a good buy and nice wine. The cork has S O S on it, look up the song from The Police, if you don’t get it.
The
Z. Alexander Brown 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon unfolds with rich aromas of black
cherry, cola and mocha. Bold tannins frame a powerful mid-palate layered with
mouth-filling flavors of ripe blackberry, black currant and chocolate covered cherry,
as well as subtle hints of baking spice. Smooth and balanced, an elegant
finesse defines the long and lingering finish.
The 2013 vintage produced a
record-breaking crop of exceptional quality. Early bud break and a mild, sunny
growing season marked by few significant heat spikes and virtually no high
winds provided ideal conditions for optimal fruit development. This remarkable
vintage resulted in balanced wines with rich mid-palates, bright, concentrated
flavors, structured tannins and big personality. -
John Killebrew, Winemaker
This was a nicely made wine, mostly made of
Cabernet Sauvignon, that had a decent balance nice fruit and was a nice
wine. It had a medium body, a fairly
rich nose of red fruits and a good finish, with just a little tannin. Not one I
was overwhelmed with, although at around $15, it is priced about right.
The grapes that go into each bottle of Perfect Season are meticulously grown and cultivated to the exacting standards of our winemaking and viticultural teams. At harvest, grape clusters are picked by hand and placed in small micro-bins to prevent skins from rupturing. In the winery, whole clusters are first sorted, removing any damaged or imperfect ones, and gently crushed and de-stemmed. The resulting individual berries are then hand-sorted again before fermentation. In essence, each berry used to create Perfect Season has been personally selected by our team.
“There are 306 cases of this gorgeous, sensual, dense ruby purple-hued 2012 offering.... notes of cassis, graphite, chocolate and loamy earth. Full-bodied, opulent and alluring....” 94 Points - Robert Parker
Exquisitely handcrafted by Philippe Melka, the 2012 vintage of Perfect Season is a wine that transports you to a place of quiet thought and reflection. Its intriguing layers reveal themselves slowly and purposefully, and at first, offer aromas of dark sensuous berries, baking spices and the soil from which the wine was born. Alluringly, these expand to include chocolate, fragrant vanilla, and a hint of jalepeno pepper in a long and rewarding finish. Philippe was joined by viticulturist Jim Barbour in capturing the essence of the 2012 growing season in this extraordinary 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine.
This is a big, broad shouldered, tannic monster that will lay in your cellar for several years and continue to get better. The tannins are heavy on the aftertaste, though the fruit is vibrant and shines though in the mid-palate. Pricey, at $40, but tastes like most of the $100 cabernets that are out there. If you serve it, cook a big steak to go with it. Anything else would just be overwhelmed. Of course, this is owned by the Hunt family, owners of the Kansas City Chiefs.
"The flavors skate around the palate with exotic spices like ground pepper and cumin, black currants, and tea leaves persist. It finishes like Wayne Gretzky, focused on the goal with American Oak, zippy acidity and some tannin structure but still pure finesse." ~Wayne Gretzky Estates
75.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 8% Zinfandel, 1.5% Cabernet Franc, 0.5% Vino Rosso
A crowd pleaser, this is a nice little cabernet – not one to age for very long – but good for drinking now. Priced from 13 – 17 dollars, not a bad price. It doesn’t really stand out, but is a decent wine – watch for it on sale. The California Gretzky wines are made by the Foley Wine group.
Hope you enjoy the spring wines. Catch you later, keep popping those corks and I'll meet you out behind the grapevines.
No comments:
Post a Comment