Wines of June 2020

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.