Wines of July 2018

Where did the heat go?

Last month I complained it was already hot. This month - the end of July is in the 80's. Hope it doesn't snow in August! (No, it will be oven hot, again).

I didn't come up with what I wanted to discuss before getting to the wines, so let's just do that.

2017 Colonia Los Liebres Bonarda Classica, Mendoza, Spain

 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com

"Bold and super-fresh (slight reduction) this is an extremely expressive red with attractive cherry, blueberry, herbal and savory notes. You need to like tannins and acidity to get excited about this, but their interplay is exciting. A great food wine. Drink or hold."

This wine was about $7-$9 on special. Worth much more than that – good fruit, nice texture and mouthfeel and acidity to be a very good food wine. Tasted better the next day. Buy a case of this stuff…

2016 Broc Love Red, North Coast, Ca

WINEMAKER’S NOTES: The grapes were harvested during the third week of September to help preserve their natural acidity. The Carignan and Valdiguié were 100% destemmed and fermented in 5-ton, open-top wood fermenters. Malolactic fermentation was allowed to happen naturally.

VINEYARD NOTES: This is our fourth bottling of Love Red. As with the last bottling,we used grapes from 50-70 year old vines from Frei Vineyard in Solano County's Green Valley. Green Valley is small pocket of land, about 3 miles long and a mile wide, tucked between the south eastern corner of Napa Valley and southwestern edge of Suisun Valley. It’s unique in that it still contains many of its old-vine Carignan and Valdiguié vineyards on clay-loam soils. Using dry-farmed/head-pruned vines, this is mostly a field blend with a small percentage of Syrah blended in from neighboring Wirth Ranch.

BLEND: 54% Carignan, 31% Syrah, 15% Valdiguié

The wines are made in Chris Brockway’s Berkeley, California warehouse (hooray for urban winemaking!) from grapes that are sustainably, organically, or biodynamically farmed. The goal is to make wines that express their site – and the grapes are often from unexpected places. This unusual blend is light and delicious, packed with red fruit notes and earthy undertones. Yum!

My notes indicated this was really good – a touch of biodynamic funk, but bright and slightly unusual flavors. Nice long finish – tasters good when chilled for summer enjoyment. Price is around $20.

2016 Domaine de la Prebende, Beaujolais, France

Domaine de la Prébende produces a deeply mineral Beaujolais from a predominantly clay and limestone terroir, a rarity in a region dominated by granite soils. “Une prébende” essentially means “a tax,” and the domaine sits on the location where monks used to collect taxes from the villagers. As Ghislaine Dupeuble puts it, “Monks didn't like to own low end vineyards!”

The Prébende Beaujolais cuvée, “Anna Asmaquer,” is named for Ghislaine's great grandmother, who married Jules Dupeuble in 1919. The family wanted to add her name to the label because it was Anna who managed the vineyards and winemaking—she is the true source of inspiration for what has become Domaine de la Prébende today.

The Anna Asmaquer Beaujolais is an old vines blend with profound minerality, a bright wild berry nose, and possesses typique Beaujolais finesse. The grapes are harvested manually and vinified completely without SO2. The wines are not chaptalized, filtered, or degassed and only natural yeasts are used for the fermentation. La Prébende crafts one of the best Beaujolais AOC values available today.
87 POINTS           Wine Enthusiast

This wine is rich, full of black-cherry flavors while also having a crisp texture. With its light tannins and intense acidity, it is juicy, ripe and ready to drink.

 I noted this was a nice wine – flavors were “gentle” with a good finish.  A good wine to sip or have with summer meals, from grilled items to salads. Price it good – a Kermit Lynch import – priced at around $20, probably available for 15-16. Well worth the effort to try…

2016 Invivo Pinot Noir, Central Otago, New Zealand

Dusty garnet color. Aromas of spiced kiwis, proscuitto wrapped honeydew, cherry paste, and Indonesian sweet soy sauce with a satiny, dry-yet-fruity medium body and an effortless, interesting, medium-length pomegranate, dates, and marinating spices finish with woody tannins and light oak. A very interesting and bright pinot with a spicy, savory palate.

I noted that this Pinot had a good nose – broad fruit flavors and a long finish. Really bright for a Central Otago wine – and the acid balance made it very good with food. Worth looking for – price will be between $20 – 25.

2017 Vina Maitia 'Weon' Carigane, Maule, Chile

This 100% unoaked Carignan is from the Maule region in Chile. Notes of blackberry and cassis dusted by cinammon and cedar show on the nose. The palate shows hints of mushroom and earth tones underneath the dark fruit. A touch of black pepper spice and a solid dose of structural tannins round out the wine.

Robert Parker Wine 91 Points

The 2016 Weon Carignan ("weon" is a basic slang word that is used for almost everything in Chile, mostly equivalent to "mate") is produced with a field blend in Loncomilla where most of the plants are Cariñena, but there is also some País. It had a soft vinification in lagar aiming at a fruit-driven, fresh and varietal wine with low alcohol (12.5%), aged in concrete à la Pipeño for six months. This is more reticent than the Aupa, with a more serious nose and palate dominated by Carignan with no influence from oak. It has fine, slightly dusty tannins, a lighter style of the grape with shorter macerations.

I rated this as fair – not a bad mouthfeel but it didn’t hold well – then end seemed dusty. The acids seemed too high for the fruit – I can’t really say I would go out and find this wine. OK but not one I’d look for. Price is $13 -16.

2015 Castano Monastrell, Yecla, Spain

There are only a handful of wineries remaining in Yecla since the phyloxera plague, and they are led by the forward-thinking Bodegas Castano, which has helped to reinvigorate the winemaking in the region.

Created by Ramon Castano Santa and his 3 sons, Bodegas Castano is not nearly as old as the vines it owns. Starting quite small, the family has nurtured these old plantings and re-planted other parcels and now owns 350 hectares of some of the prime vineyard land in Yecla. Today, Daniel Castano, one of Ramon's sons, runs the winery with the help of other members of the family.

The extremely talented Mariano Lopez has taken over the winemaker reins at the Bodega, and has turned the focus toward more balanced bottlings of older vine Monastrell. Both traditional and carbonic maceration techniques are used and all wines pass through malolactic fermentation. Daniel believes that the fruit and tannin structure of the Monastrell varietal stands up well to the use of oak, and as such, many of the wines pass (in varying degrees) through a barrel regime.

Winemaker Notes

Deep shiny cherry-red of medium intensity. Expressive aromas of well ripen red fruit. Well structured and balanced, rich and meaty tannins.

This bottle was under $8 – you never expect much, but this is one heck of buy! Surprising full bodied, great fruit and tannic underlayer with a moderate finish. No one will believe you paid that little for this wine.  Buy a bunch…

Troublemaker Sauvignon Blanc Blend 2, Central Coast, Ca

Troublemaker Sauvignon Blanc Blend 2, Central Coast, Ca

Every Troublemaker needs a partner in crime – that’s why we’ve introduced Troublemaker Sauvignon Blanc. A refreshingly zesty Sauvignon Blanc with a splash of Riesling and Grenache Blanc, this wine is the crisp counterpart to the dark and brooding Troublemaker Red Blend.

Troublemaker Sauvignon Blanc is the epitome of porch pounder. Flashy fruit aromas and flavors of lychee, starfruit, papaya and guava, with notes of gardenia and grapefruit pith. On the palate, the flavors are brought to life by vibrant acidity and long, lush finish.

Yup, this is a good porch pounder for hot summer days. Cool it down and drink away. Enough balance to go with light entrees or appetizers, I got it on sale for under $9. Pretty good for that price – from the Austin Hope family of wines. 

Well, that is July - hope you enjoy another month of wines. Until we are together again, keep popping those corks and I'll meet you out behind the grapevines!

Wines for June 2018

Seems Summer has come early

Another month flew by - I didn't even come up with anything interesting to say here. Well, how about an old definition of "Buzz"? It was the an English College saying for the pour out of the bottom of a bottle of Port. Probably with a bunch of stuff in it...Now to the Wines

2015 Castellare di Castellina Chinai Classico, Italy

The 2015 Chianti Classico opens to vivid aromas of cherries, red plums, spices floral and hints of tobacco and earth. On the palate this is medium-bodied, silky and balanced with lovely acidity leading into the finish, which leaves behind red fruits, spices and floral notes lingering. Overall and excellent showing, however allow it another year to flesh out a bit more. (Best 2018-2022)

Varietal composition:     95% Sangioveto and 5% Canaiolo

Fermentation container:  Stainless steel tanks

Length of alcoholic fermentation: 14 days

Length of maceration: 7 days

Malolactic fermentation: Yes

Type of aging container: Barriques and Tonneaux

Age of aging container: One year

Type of oak: French

A classical style Chianti, with red fruits and a good body and acidity to make it a very good food wine. I got it for under $18, good price for a good Italian wine. Notice the pretty label

2015 Palacio del Burgo Tinto, Rioja, Spain

90 points Vinous

  Bright violet. Vibrant red and dark berry scents are complemented by hints of cola and candied flowers. Fresh and energetic on the palate, offering juicy raspberry and bitter cherry flavors that deepen and become sweeter on the back half. Gentle tannins build slowly on the clinging finish but are no match for the plush, primary fruit. This delicious Rioja drinks surprisingly well already. (JR)    (5/2017)

Palacio del Burgo is produced by Burgo Viejo, one of the more serious producers of value oriented Rioja in the entire region. From their base in the Rioja Baja village of Alfaro, this family owned company has a range of vineyard holdings, from clay sites to very stony ones reminiscent of Châteauneuf-du-Pape with the abundance of rounded stones and the strongly Mediterranean climactic influence. We have worked with this winery over the years with various bottlings and have found that the wines always over deliver and are consistently terrific values.

A bargain wine (around $10) from Spain – one of my standby type of wines. This Rioja was well made, not one to age very long, but bright flavors with good acidity to make it very quaffable as well a great food wine. Get several, you won’t regret it.

2014 St. Francis Merlot, Sonoma Valley, California

90 POINTS           Wine Enthusiast

Sanguine in cranberry while offering a velvety smooth, rounded approachability, this well-made, robust wine will appeal to a wide range of palates, expressing a big, leathery backbone of tannin and toasted oak.

This polished Merlot shows off layered aromas and flavors of espresso, red cherry and chocolate that finish with a touch of savory spices. Medium­ to ­full bodied with good structure and a long, lingering finish.

I haven’t had much St. Francis in recent years, but always appreciated the Sonoma County producer’s wines. This wine is available around $15 and lives up to expectations. Nice medium body, the flavors are exhibited in a somewhat nuanced way. Nothing over the top, but good red fruits and spices with good acidity to be a great food wine. Well worth it in my opinion.

2017 Espirit du Mistral Rose, Aix-En-Provence, France

No Picture Available

You will not find anything in the press about the wine, which is a special cuvee bottled exclusively for Roche Mere Wine Selections and only available to those distributors working with us.   The wine is a blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah cultivated using sustainable farming methods from vineyards in Coteaux d’Aix AOP.  The grapes undergo a light cold pressing and temperature controlled fermentation in steel tanks.   Bottled in February 2018.

2017 Espirit du Mistral Rosé         Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence

50% Grenache – 35% Cinsault – 15% Syrah

This wine, when first tasted seemed a little thin and not really very interesting. A later tasting showed it’s wonderful flavors and adaptability to different foods. Priced around $15, this is a good summer wine.

2016 Milbrandt Vineyards Rose, Columbia Valley, WA

Winemaker Notes

"The 2016 vintage shaped up to be a hot one, but the heat backed off considerably early on giving us grapes that had a chance to mature more slowly to develop flavor. We picked the Rose grapes at the ideal point of flavor development, acidity and tannin level to ensure a wine that was lively, interesting and an elegant pale in color.

Our dry Rose is Syrah dominant and expresses aromas of ruby redgrapefruit, watermelon, cranberry, and a hint of white tea. I likethe fresh herbal and citrus quality that Tempranillo brings to the blend. When blended with Syrah, the two complement one another nicely. Our Rose expresses a bright lively acidity with a round fruit driven mid-palate, finishing crisp and clean." -Emily Haines, Winemaker

Blend: 75% Syrah, 25% Tempranillo

This Rose had a pretty nose, moderate flavors and a good finish. I noted the fruit was light but picked up mid-palate. Real nice hot weather wine – around $13, you can’t go wrong.

2017 Tinto Rey Rose, Dunnigan Hills, CA

2017 Tinto Rey Rose, Dunnigan Hills, CA

Winemaker Notes

The 2017 Tinto Rey Rosé is a blend of Matchbook Estate Grown Tempranillo, Tannat and Verdejo. This wine is unique because it was co-fermented, meaning all three varietals were crushed and fermented together for better flavor integration. Our winemakers’ cold fermented (50˚F) the 2017 Rosé in stainless steel tanks to preserve the just-picked fresh fruit flavors. A wonderfully crisp and refreshing wine, and truth be told a new favorite around here.

The 2017 Tinto Rey Rosé is a beautiful rose petal pink color with alluring aromas of perfume, watermelon and white nectarine that just beg you to take a sip. Fresh stone fruit flavors on the palate are balanced by crisp acidity. Pleasing flavors of white peach and Rainier cherry lead to a delightfully long finish with just a hint of peach pit.

Somewhat unusual blend, this wine was a very good Rose wine. The co-fermenting allowed a good blending of the fruit flavors, giving a full mouthfeel and good acidity to match food. There was a decent aftertaste that made this wine a really good buy. Avaialble for around $15, another great summer choice – serve it to friends, they will appreciate too.

2016 Guillame Gonnet ‘Le Nymphe’ , Tavel, France

This is absolutely classic Tavel. A blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Cinsault, 10% Syrah offering a deep cherry-red color, the wine draws you in notes of raspberries, wild strawberries, a hint of orange blossom and minerality. A tangle of briary fruits envelopes your senses as you dive in for a sip – blackberry and raspberry – especially the wild variety, with their brighter acidity and ripe/tart balance! Hints of Provencal herbs on the finish bring it all together – this is a wine of place… of the earth… of terroir! This begs to be drunk outside – 80 degrees and sunny on Saturday! Perfect! Some olives and cheese while you fire up the grill. Then marinated chicken thighs… some little fingerling potatoes… oohh and fresh spring onions! Yum!

Tavel is the only French wine zone (DOC) to allow only Rose` wines.  A beautiful wine, the flavors hold up to the description. Nicely dry, has full flavors throughout the mouth with a nice finish that lingers. A well made wine, a very good food wine able to hold up against the heat and grilled items. Should be available for around $20, this is a pink that can impress your friends.

2015 Domaine Trotereau, Quincy, France

Kermit Lynch, Importer

Pierre Ragon of Domaine Trotereau is as much an icon of the small appellation of Quincy in the Loire Valley as the appellation itself is a historical icon for the whole of France. Quincy was the second recognized appellation in France in 1936, second only to Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Grapes had long been planted here, however, with Sauvignon Blanc having been introduced by Cistercian monks in the 12th century. Southwest of Sancerre, on the banks of a tributary of the Loire River, the Cher, the relatively small appellation of 200 hectares is located between the villages of Vierzon and Bourges. The sandy, silex-ridden topsoil with an undercurrent of pink limestone is truly unique, unlike any other Sauvignon Blanc appellation in the world, and gives a very particular wine. Sauvignon is able to ripen more fully here while retaining a very interesting aromatic profile, and the wines are capable of aging quite gracefully.

The mineral-scented Quincy displays a light-bodied personality filled with fresh minerals, stones, and gravel. Dry, crisp, and highly-detailed, with good concentration as well as balance, it is loaded with flavor.

A Sauvignon Blanc that doesn’t taste like every other one. Good nose of  tropical fruits with flavors of stone and fruit. Mid-palate tails off a little, but the finish comes back to a minerally tang. Priced under $20 (can do better as well), this is a white Sauv blanc to forget the endless sea of flavorless ones.

2015 San Fabiano Conti Borghini Baldovinetti Chianti, Italy

Winemaker Notes

Intense ruby colors. A bouquet of sweet and sour cherries, saddle leather, herbs and spices. On the palate, the wine has a black cherry character and good acidity. It is well balanced and smooth with an easy going finish.

The wine is fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel vats; then it ages for 6 months in ceramic vats and 4 months in bottle.

Another Chianti – this one was just OK. The cherry Sangiovese came through although it was not real full in the mid-palate. The finish was a little short, but it had decent acidity to be a decent food wine .A  fine to keep a bottle or two around with a retail of $13 and available around $10. A “school day” wine for pizza and spaghetti.

I hope you enjoyed this little slice of Vino. Until then, keep popping those corks and I'll meet you out behind the grapevines...