Wines of December, 2018

Wines of December, 2018

The Holiday Special

I hope you had a good Holiday Season. Let's talk about some wines!

2017 Tussock Jumper Chenin Blanc, Western Cape, South Africa

Ripe peach and pineapple aromas that follow through to the palate. Excellent example of a rich and ripe style of Chenin Blanc. Fresh, flinty flavors and a long, clean, crisp aftertaste.

WS – 88 Pts "Bright, with makrut lime, green apple and honeysuckle notes breezing through. The fresh finish offers a mouthwatering edge. Drink now. 25,000 cases made." –JM

Pleasant, light style South African Chenin Blanc (Steen).  Floral and fruit carry through the palate, moderate aftertaste. Well worth the $10 price point, better in the spring summer, as a sipper and dinner wine.

2010 Terra Bianco Campaccio Toscana, Tuscany, Italy

Deep, lively ruby; ample, intense, elegant of berry fruit, chocolate, leather & roasted almond; full &concentrated on palate, with perfectly balanced freshness and fruit. Superb structure, harmony and depth, silky tannins.

Blend: 70% Sangiovese and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon

Very nice Super Tuscan – in its prime drinking. Tannins are mostly gone, but good fruit up front and on the nose carry to the palate, with a good acidity to make it excellent with food. Unable to price, was a gift.

2009 Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon Yountville Selection, Napa Valley, California

This ambitious effort stars flavors so ripe and fantastic, they defy description. The wine, with a few drops of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, explodes in blackberries, black cherries, currants, mocha, sweet licorice, plum and new oak flavors. The tannins are magnificent, the oak integration beautiful. The chief criticism is that the alcohol level is high, and gives the wine a burn of heat.

Full-bodied and well balanced, this Cabernet Sauvignon is packed with black cherries, cassis and mocha with a whiff of cardamom. Its supple and smooth mouthfeel lingers with a long, elegant finish. Having the patience to cellar this wine will reward you in the glass years from now. Serve with simply roasted meat dishes or all by itself to fully enjoy the wine’s complex flavors.

Don’t ask the price – my brother got half bottles of this and sent me one for Thanksgiving. The wine was excellent – in a good drinking window. The tannins were smooth; the mouthfeel was very elegant and the finish was lingering. Wonderful bottle of Cabernet from Napa.

2009 Franciscan Clos Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, CA

A rich and elegant presentation with vibrant dark cherry and plum fruit flavors, followed by notes of tobacco, mocha, rosemary and vanilla. This wine has a balanced and supple palate with a generous finish of berries and spice. Cassis, blackberry, and spice give this wine layers of complexity with subtle notes of cardamom, and cocoa. Over time, notes of coffee, clove, and anise arise with a hint of vanilla and tobacco.

No doubt in its prime drinking window, this wine had a good nose of dark fruits and followed with the same on the palate. Good long aftertaste with no or little tannins; very impressive bottle.Not 100% Cab, tasted like some other blending grapes to smooth out the flavors. Not sure of the price, another gift from my Brother.

2014 Masi Campofiorin Ripasso, Veneto, Italy

Ripe blackberry and earthy aromas lead into a black cherry palate with a lush mouthfeel and silken texture, thanks to the super-soft tannins. It's lacking a touch of definition to the black fruit, but it persists admirably long into the finish.

Drinking Window 2017 – 2019

70% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, 5% Molinara

One of my favorite affordable Italians – this was actually a magnum bottle. Found out the Amarone for 2014 was de-classified and added to this bottling. A wine to savor or serve with hearty meals – the Magnum was only around $45.

2016 Sette Ponti Crognolo Red, Toscana, Italy

Critical Acclaim  95           James Suckling

Aromas of rosewood, cherries and blueberries follow through to a full body, tight and focused tannins and a long and flavorful finish. This is linear and bright. The tannins are wonderfully polished and poised. Hard not to drink now, but it will improve beautifully in the bottle. A blend of mostly sangiovese with a touch of merlot. Drink or hold.

92           Wine Spectator

Bright, bursting with black cherry, plum, leather, menthol and spice flavors. Smooth and harmonious, with fine grip on the earth- and mineral-tinged finish. Sangiovese and Merlot. Drink now through 2028.

Intense ruby red in color, the wine has a fruity, spicy bouquet and ripe cherry and berries on the palate. It has the vivid acidity typical of Sangiovese, with well-integrated tannins and an earthy finish.

The reviews claim a touch of Merlot but the Kobrand rep indicated they left it out of the 2016. Really nice wine, open nose and wonderful red and black fruits. The acidity made it a natural with many types of food.  Priced around $35 – a good bottle to enjoy.

2013 Masi Cosasera Amerone Classico, Veneto, Italy

Since the 1960s, Masi experts have confirmed the superiority of west-facing sites. Masi combines ancient varieties (Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara) and winemaking methods (vinifying grapes semi-dried on racks for 3-4 months) with modern techniques. Traditional 600-liter Veronese barrels have been re-introduced, the best to age this wine. 

By end of January, grapes lose 35% of their weight and develop highly concentrated sugars. Only Corvina develops botrytis. After gentle pressing; partially de-stemmed grapes undergo fermentation for 45 days in large Slavonian oak or stainless steel vats at low temperature. The wine is transferred to 30-40 hl barrels; alcoholic fermentation continues 35 days with alcohol-resistant yeasts, before malolactic.

 Aged 24 months; 80% in Slavonian oak botti, 40-80 hl, and 20% in small Allier and Slavonian oak barrels (40% new, 30% one year, and 30% two years old), and at least 4 months in bottle. Can age 30-35 years.

Deep ruby red with brilliant reflections. Intense and elegant aromas of cherry and plum jam with spicy hints of cinnamon and cloves. Firm structure but very soft on the palate with velvety tannins and a marked acidity that balances the alcohol level well. Full flavoured with a fruity finish and soft spiciness.

The big daddy, compared to the earlier ripasso, this is an outstanding wine. The nose is very nice, but the mouthfeel is just gigantic. Wonderful aftertaste, tannins woven into the finish. This is a great wine. Priced in the mid $50’s, really worth having on hand for guests – enough acidity to go with a range of food.

2012 Oakville Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, CA

90 POINTS           Wine Enthusiast

Soft and juicy, this is a classically crafted wine, medium bodied with savory notes of cedar, dried herb and black olive. Structured and balanced, it finishes rich and refreshing, with a memory of red currant and cherry.

RP           91 POINTS           Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The succulent, lush, flamboyant, and somewhat exhibitionist 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon from Oakville Winery has plenty of smoky barbecue notes, black cherry and blackcurrant fruit, some vanilla and toast. It is medium to full-bodied, with wonderful lushness, low acidity and loads of fruit in a hedonistic, fruit-bomb style of Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink it over the next 10-15 years.

A wonderful, big bodied Cab from Napa Valley. Almost hedonistic, but a great joy to savor. Works with heavy meals, like a slab of meat.  Priced in the mid $40’s, per the internet – I got this as a gift a while back. With the tannins and fruit, it would hold another 10 years easy.

Another Month and the Holidays have flown by. Happy New Year and hopes of many more great wines and wonderful experiences. Keep popping those corks and I’ll meet you out behind the grapevine. Salut!