Wine of August 2018

The heat came back

All right, I'll quit talking about the weather. Can't make up it's darn mind. Hey, how do you make "blush" wine? Tell the white grapes dirty jokes until they blush and then squeeze them! Eh, close enough - Now for the August wines.

2015 Chateau Bauillon, Bordeaux, France

No information available on this – I must have written the name down wrong.

Not a big deal – it was $10 and barely worth that. Not undrinkable, but nothing memorable.

2012 El Coll Pieza, Calatayud,Spain

The nose on this blend of Grenache, Carignan and other grapes burns and smells of iodine, mushroom, olive and rustic berry fruits. High acidity and an obtuse mouthfeel house salty, briny, minerally plum flavors, while the finish runs low on fruit.

A very rustic Spanish wine, I found the finish to be very earthy. Moderate fruits but not very bright in flavor. Found out it is Biodynamical farmed grapes.  Can’t really recommend…even under $15.

2013 Quinta do Vallado Vino Tinto, Douro, Portugal       

Winemaker Notes

This blend is dark red, with crimson highlights and an intense, mature red fruit nose, with hints of violets and “esteva” (a local Portuguese herb that has sweet, warm balsamic aromas with a hint of earthiness). The palate shows great structure and a full-bodied elegance, with mature, round tannins, leading to a long, persistent finish.

Pair with light meat dishes, such as pork, or flavorful, hard cheeses, such as Italian cow and sheep’s milk cheeses.

I was looking for lighter wine to drink in the heat and Matt recommended this gem from Portugal. Moderately priced, it was a very pleasant sipper with nice fruit surrounded by herb flavors. Moderate finish – well worth the $12-15 price.

2017 Marques De Caceras Rosado, Rioja, Spain

Winemaker Notes

Pretty, pale strawberry color. Fresh bouquet of floral notes and strawberries/raspberries that blend together exquisitely. Delicious and refined on tasting with a pleasant fullness and refreshing, luscious flavors that awaken the taste buds.

Critical Acclaim

90           James Suckling

Aromas and flavors of strawberries and lemon-stem in this wine. Medium body, bright acidity and a clean finish. Fruitier style of rosé, but all here.

This is a very good year for this Rosado – very bright fruit with nice body and acidity to make it a good sipper and food wine. Priced around $10 – this is a great pink to share with friends.

2014 Azul y Garanza Garciano, Navarra, Spain

Top 100 AWEsome Wines 2016 (Association of Wine Educators) 'Raspberry and peppery spice on the nose; dry, fine tannins with gutsy red fruits and intense flavours. The name Garciano refers to the blend which is a mix of Garnacha and Graciano. The Garnacha brings soft, fruity flavours, which delivers a rich complexity. The Graciano gives the deep, rich colour, its spicy flavours and aromas, its freshness, acidity and long life.'

A blend of two Spanish grapes, this bottling does a good job of bringing the best of both to the wine. Surprisingly bright, yet good acidity to balance with many foods. Not at all flabby, has a decent finish to top off the flavors. Available for under $20, a nice surprise wine for guests.

2016 Bodegas Ponce “Clos Lojen’ Bobal, Manchuela, Spain

Clos Lojen is a pure joy to drink—and gives those of us always searching for new wines the opportunity to get to know a varietal not found outside of Spain. Made with 100 percent Bobal from organically farmed vines ranging in age from 35 to 50 years old, the wine is aged 7 months in old barrel French oak to help preserve the freshness and lively characteristics of the grape. Bright purple hues excite the senses; aromas of blackberry and sour cherry jump out of the glass. A subtle smokiness with mineral undertones easily coats your palate. Earthy youthfulness and perfect maturity are juxtaposed to create a delightful red. Juan Antonio hits a home run with this humble yet gutsy tinto

A very good bottle of Bobal, the odd, thick skin grape from Spain. Once it was just made in to humble local wines, very rustic with little care taken in producing it. Now, serious winemakes are putting out examples like this. Good fruit, somewhat dusky and a light tannic finish – works well with any beef or pork dish. Priced under $20, a good buy.

2012 Grand ‘Arte Touriga Nacional, Lisboa, Portugal

Rich, vibrant and intensely fruity red with juicy black fruit & spicy flavours. João Paulo Martins; Vinhos de Portugal 2016; "Tasted in 2015. The wine shows up elegant aroma, very fine in the fruit and floral notes but all very pleasant and very well balanced. Elegant in the mouth with very fine tannins with a very attractive fruit that makes the tasting a pleasure."

Not bad, but an earlier vintage was much better. Decent broad flavors but it tended to fade away quickly. Next day was not very good – tannins seemed to just fade away and leave little fruit. OK for the $12-14 price.

2015 Emilio Moro Tempranillo, Ribera Del Duero, Spain

Winemaker Notes                           #59 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2017

The wine has a very intense cherry red color. On the nose, it is opulent and very expressive, with a base of great quality ripe black fruit and balsamic notes in the background. On the palate, it has good acidity -- and is broad and tasty with a long aftertaste.

Critical Acclaim

91           James Suckling

Always a go-to red with cherry and blueberry character and just a hint of lemon. Medium body, fresh acidity and a bright finish.

90           Wine Spectator

Black cherry, red plum and currant flavors are fresh and lively in this firm red, backed by dark chocolate, licorice and toasty notes. Light, firm tannins and citrusy acidity keep this focused. Drink now through 2023.

This is a very nice, focused bottle of wine. Very good fruit, balanced tannins and nice acidity made this wine a great match for dinner. Worth keeping for company but only prices around $25. Really nice.

Well, that's all for now. Keep popping those corks and I'll meet you out behind the grapevines!