Getting Hot Here
Been getting pretty toasty around my neighborhood - hope you are staying cool. Here are the wines for June, 2020
2018 Vina Tinajas del
Maule Viejo Feo Carmenere Maule Valley, Chile
This handsome Carménère is brilliant, with dark reflections
and an expressive character. Carménère is “the lost grape” from Bordeaux,
France, and is now Chile’s flagship grape. It’s fruit-forward, lush, and dry
with an aroma of black fruits, chocolate and coffee; soft & silky with a
pleasant, lingering aftertaste.
Fantastic value with tons of fresh blackberry fruit and a
elements of earth and spice. A real crowd-pleaser!
A decent every day
Carmenere, decent fruit, short finish, but good for pizza and spaghetti. Under
$10, nice to have on hand.
This grape is the “lost” one from Bordeaux – after
the American louse devoured the grape vines in France, this odd man out was
left basically growing in Chile. For years, many of the plants were designated
as Merlot, but testing in the 1990’s proved it to be Carmenere. That has made
it a signature grape of the country.
2016 Para Maria
Stolpman Vineyards Santa Barbara, California
#51 ENTHUSIAST 100 2017
This Syrah, which is enhanced by 15% Petit Verdot, is one of
the better wines from the region on the market for less than $25. Awesome
aromas of pepper, blackberry and charred beef are intense and deep, while the
palate is lifted by bountiful acidity and flavors of boysenberry, white, black
and green peppercorns, incense and sagebrush.
Para Maria already shows off its breadth and complexity at a
tender young age. Lively, peppy balance and juicy brambly blackberry. Graphite
and cracked pepper create an impression of seriousness with a hint of savory
wood from the whole-bunch carbonic fermentation.
This is a serious
syrah – not like a bottle of Aussie stuff with an animal on it. The Petit
Verdot helps color and adds a great
nuance to the wine. Fruits are lush red, with pepper and herbs. Decent acidity
that made it good with heavier fare at dinner. Really nice – I got it under
$20. Great buy.
2017 El Jamon
Garnacha Carinena, Spain
One of the more versatile red grapes in the world, Garnacha
(known as Grenache in France) thrives in Spain. This Spanish gem has flavors of
black raspberry and cherry fruit, with earthy notes of spice, leather, vanilla
and mocha. Medium bodied with fine, soft tannins and well balanced acidity.
Another week night
wine, these wines are always drinkable, with a little acidity to go with most
fare. Short finish, no real tannins, but enough fruit to keep it interesting.
Under $10 – probably$ 8.
2010 Gloria Ferrer
Anniversary Cuvee Sonoma, California
Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards—Sonoma Carneros’
original sparkling wine house—announces the release of Anniversary Cuvée, a
vintage sparkling wine to toast life’s memorable moments from the simplest to
the most spectacular. Made from Sonoma
County Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, the Gloria Ferrer Anniversary Cuvée is
assembled from 14 separately fermented lots of wine from the 2010 vintage.
Fermented for 6 months before blending, the wine was then allowed to mature in
bottle for five and a half years before disgorgement. 2010 Gloria Ferrer
Anniversary Cuvée will be released nationally this month at a suggested retail
price of $40.
2010 was one of the coolest vintages on record in Sonoma.
The low temperatures resulted in a light crop, slow ripening and a later than
usual harvest. The lower yield and extended hang time gave the grapes
extraordinary concentration and character. Grapes for the 2010 Gloria Ferrer
Anniversary Cuvée were hand harvested in small bins and pressed very gently in
whole clusters. Only the first press juice, with its delicate flavors and
aromas was used for this wine. Fermentation was in stainless steel at
temperatures from 55º-60º F. The final blend is 67% Pinot Noir and 33%
Chardonnay.
2010 Gloria Ferrer Anniversary Cuvée has a moderate alcohol
content of 12.5 percent, making it an excellent choice to drink throughout a
meal. Steven Urberg, Gloria Ferrer’s winemaker, describes the wine as
displaying aromas of Asian pear and ripe apples, with hints of honey and
vanilla. On the palate, the mousse is
rich and creamy. The fruit of the nose is enhanced with flavors of crème
brûlée, stone fruit and black cherry, with a long finish that suggests fresh
ginger. “This is an elegant wine that will be a fine partner with wine
similarly festive dishes,” says Urberg. He suggests oysters on the half-shell,
classic steamed lobster with drawn butter, lemon meringue pie or a fruit galette
with crème fraiche. “It is a perfect wine for a great occasion and great
company,” he says.
Wow – this was a
close-out for just under $20 – I got half a case. Very good sparkler with great
bubbles, that brioche and yeast flavors and pear and apple tones. Elegant is a
good word for it. Buy it if you can get it!
2017 Chateau Ste
Michelle Sauvignon Blanc Horse Heaven Hills, Washington
Aromas of grass, grapefruit and herb lead to a crisp citrus
flavor on the full-bodied palate. These tones carry on the finish. 90 Points, Wine Enthusiast
This Sauvignon Blanc from our Horse Heaven Vineyard is a
crisp, racy style of Sauvignon Blanc with citrus characteristics. We use
partial stainless steel fermentation to preserve the Sauvignon Blanc’s pure,
fresh, vibrant character.” Bob Bertheau, Winemaker
Nice Sauv blanc from
Washington – clean with some citrus. Moderate finish, not something to go
overboard on, but OK for this grape. Costs under $10 – good enough for that
white wine to go with something before drinking the big red.
2015 Seigneurs
D’Aiguilhe, Bordeaux, France
This balanced wine shows fine potential. Its structure
dominates at the moment, with solid tannins, but the rich black fruit is all
there. Let it develop over the next several years and drink from 2021.
Moving to the red and made from 80% Merlot and the rest
Cabernet Franc, the 2015 Château D'Aiguilhe is also brilliant and well worth
seeking out. Sporting a vibrant ruby/purple color as well as gorgeous notes of
black raspberries and blue fruits, violates, bouquet garni, and spring flowers,
it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, bright acidity, and
firm tannin, all of which give it a masculine feel, despite having plenty of
upfront fruit. This is a beautiful Côtes de Castillon that will benefit from
2-3 years of cellaring and keep for a decade or more. - Jeb Dunnuck, 92 pts
Ripe, fragrant aromatics. Power but opulence and finesse as
well. Fine, fresh grain of tannin and a persistent finish. One of the best yet
from this Von Neipperg-owned (Canon-la-Gaffelière) estate. - Decanter, 91 pts
This is a second or
third label for this estate. That usually means the wine is “left-overs” and
just barely passable. Not this wine – it tastes like an expensive Bordeaux –
dark colors with red/black fruits with good body and a firm aftertaste. Would
keep another 5 years in the cellar and taste great. Priced around $30, but available as low as
$23, good wine to buy and have on hand.
2015 Bootleg Wine
Works Red, Napa County, California
This opulent, purple-hued wine is rich with aromas of
bramble berries, baking spices and espresso. On the palate it exhibits flavors
of plums, blueberry compote, soft vanilla and allspice, with hints of cigar box
and black tea. The wine is full and inviting enough to enjoy on its own, yet
structured enough to stand up to big, bold foods like prime rib, leg of lamb or
BBQ.
Blend: 53% Merlot, 21% Petite Sirah, 20% Syrah, 4% Cabernet
Sauvignon, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot
Bootleg doesn’t have
any vineyards – they buy the “extra” grapes that are usually available unless
the growing season is a bad one. 2015 was a good year and the scored some nice
grapes to make a nice red blend. The
mouthfeel is full, with dark fruits expanding into herb and spice nuances.
Decent length aftertaste, some tannins, but not overpowering. Could sit for a
few years, but very approachable now. Price is about $45, but is available for
$35-40. Another nice bottle to have to serve to friends (when their not wearing
masks…)
Another month – hope
you are all staying safe. Keep popping those corks and I’ll meet you out behind
the grapevines.
