June Wines 2016

A few more wines to taste

2010 Montevina Zinfandel

Vibrantly fruity red wine with juicy coffee and cherry aromas, then zingy raspberry and redcurrant fruit on the palate. Subtle sweet oak notes give way to gentle caramel and clove tones on the finish. Ripe, rounded red wine, combining bold fruitiness with spicy complexity.

About this bottle: The rocky granite soils of the Sierra Foothills are perfect for big, deep red wines – Zinfandel in particular. Montevina’s Zins are from vineyards planted in the mid-1800s and as winemaker Chris Leamy explains, ‘this gives them a deep sense of place’. The region’s gold prospectors are known to have brought the vines and planted them here, so they could quench their thirst with wine after a day hunting for gold.

Grape Variety: 90% Zinfandel, 10% Petite Sirah

 Region: California, Amador County, Sierra Foothills

The zins from the Sierra Mountains are not the big fruit bombs made in other regions. The vines are usually older and are more nuanced in their development of flavors. There is usually spice and some pepper but the fruit flavors are more balanced, hence the winemaker note of rounded red wine. This was near the end of its useful life, but was a good school night wine for under $10. Newer vintages would be better now.

2013 Fog Mountain Field Blend, California

Sonoma County, California -  Varietal Red Blend 

"Elegantly brings together 5 core varietals: Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, and Petite Sirah for a wine that is layered and complex. Aromas of ripe red fruit and exotic spices lift from the glass and immediately capture your attention. Flavors of tangy raspberries, fresh-picked strawberries, and red currant coat the palate with a delightfully rich flavor profile. This wine is well balanced with smooth, juicy tannins that make it an approachable, food-friendly wine." Winemaker's Notes

The Field Blend brings together seven distinct varietals, delivering exquisite aromas of raspberry and bing cherry. Soft and supple on the mouth, strawberry notes intermingle with hints of cedar and culminate in a subtle tobacco finish.

This is a hard wine to track down – obviously a third label type thing or extra juice producer with no web site.  The quotes came from different retailers selling the product for about $11. Not an overpowering wine, but decent fruit flavor and balance to make it very drinkable. Not something to age, no tannins and the finish is fairly short. Above average school night wine – I caught the zin, syrah and cabernet in the flavors.

2013 Gabriel Meffre Terre de Galets, Cotes du Rhone, France

The name comes from the smooth, white pebble stones called “galets” that are found in the vineyards. They reflect the heat and light of the sun to help ripen the grapes and create a rich and concentrated wine. Deep crimson and purple color leads to the flavors of ripe, red fruits and blackberries with spice notes. Full bodied with a spicy finish.

Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault grapes that make up this cuvée are vinified separately in order to preserve their specificities.

I happen to really like wines from the Rhone region of France – I’m even a “sidekick” in the Rhone Rangers in the US. Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueyras and simple Cotes du Rhone are wines that are simply wonderful food wines that can stand alone. Some are very age-worthy, while the simpler ones deserve to have a meal and friends.  Made from the Grenache and Syrah, most widely grown, with additions of Cinsault, Carignane, Counoise and Mourvèdre make wines that are firmly structured and well rounded.  This wine, a little light in color was a nice every day wine that went very well with several meals.  Not ageworthy but should drink well for a couple more years. Great buy for around $10.

2012 Kendall Jackson Syrah, California

Winemaker's Notes

Richly layered with flavors of plum, jammy blackberry, cola and just the right amount of spice followed by velvety, lingering tannins.

Critical Acclaim                  WE91 

It's impressive for a wine this good to be made in rather large quantities. Deep in color, it has mouthcoating fruit and rich tannins, with minty notes adding to the deep, dark cherry and blackberry flavors. Full-bodied and full-flavored, it relies on fruit concentration rather than overt oak for personality and is smooth in texture. It may come out of its dense phase and be even better by 2016.

KJ can put together some nice wines – they are more than the eponymous Vinter’s Reserve Chardonnay that made them a big player in the wine world. This wine was a very tasty product, except for the cork implosion that left the first pour with a fine cover of cork.  It didn’t have deep tannins, but nice body with blackberry and cherry flavor intertwined with a nice herb nuance. This is much more of a French syrah style, not the fruit bomb Aussie Shiraz style. I’ll say I really enjoyed this wine – the price was around $14, made even better by being in my $100 case. A wine you should try at the right price.

That's all I've got for now, busy, busy at work. Keep popping those corks and I'll meet you out behind the grapevines.