Month of September, 2020

It officially become fall, and maybe the temperatures will act like it. Ready to do a little less grilling and more cooking inside. Here are the wines from last month.

2016 Grgich Hills Petite Sirah Miljenko selection, Calistoga, CA                               

Aromas of ripe dark fruit with tones of sweet cherry and raspberry are carried by undertones of vanilla bean and rose petals. Dense red fruit on the palate is followed by silky tannins that uphold the complex aromas of the Petite Sirah. This wine envelopes every taste bud with its deeply rich aromatics, creating a lush and lingering aftertaste. Match its generous flavors with substantial flavors, such as lamb stew, grilled steak and barbecued pork ribs. This Petite Sirah will benefit from decanting an hour before serving.

Black violet color. Fruity aromas and flavors of pomegranate, violet, cocoa butter, compressed watermelon, vanilla, and basil with a lightly tannic, lively, dry-yet-fruity full body and a warming, intricate, medium-long finish that exhibits notes of rosemary with light oak flavor. A dense and tannic wine with lifted and lively aromatics the balance and satisfy; a stylish pairing for grilled meats.

This is an outstanding wine – the flavors last on a long finish. Very well made and opens wide after pouring in not too long a time. Gift to me, but priced around $65 online.

2018 Bodegas Volver Paso a Paso Tempranillo, La Tiera de Castilla, Spain

Intense cherry color and hints of garnet. On the nose, mature fruit stands out and we find creamy hints of toasted oak. On the palate, it is fruity with a long, silky finish.

Pretty tasty little Spanish wine – enough acidity to make food matches easy, yet very pleasant as a sip alone. Red fruits on the palate, not a long finish, but a good wine for around $10. Organic wine

2014 Angle Vineyards Pinot Noir Sonoma County, CA

Nothing online about this – after drinking it I know why. Made from surplus juice, it is drinkable, although the fruit gets overtaken by an earthy overtone. What  you get for about $7 – I’ll stick with my cheap Spanish wines.

NV Folk Machine BYOB Red, California

This new boxed red blend falls under his Folk Machine label (used for his more eclectic wine endeavors) and is 42% Carignane, 18% Petite Sirah, 15% Zinfandel, 15% Syrah, and 10% Tempranillo. The fruit was grown in Mendocino and Suisun Valley. Each lot was fermented separately, aged in combination of stainless steel tanks and oak barrels, and blended in the Spring. The end result is a mid-weight easy drinking, fun red that is juicy, fresh, and all-purpose.

This was a wine in a mystery tasting – fooled most of the people. A bright, young wine – the fruit was upfront and juicy. No tannins, some acidity for food – a great wine for a party where you have people that drink wine like water. The 3 Liter runs under $30 – good for what it is.

2020 Castillo de Olite Tempranillo, Navarra, Spain

Produced from grapes grown in the hillsides of Navarre in the north of Spain, this light and fruity red wine is aromatic and easy drinking. For more than 20 years it has been a great favourite of our clientele. Perfect for every day drinking.

Another nice Spanish wine with red fruits and little tannins. Enough backbone to go with various foods – another good buy at around $12 or less.

2017 Poggio Landi Rosso di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy

From a great vintage, Poggio Landi’s gulpable, ruby-colored Rosso is a concentrated, cherry-scented way to enjoy young-vine Brunello while your 2017 Brunello wines mature in your cellar. Dusty black cherry, minerals, and almond would make this so enticing with a roast rack of pork studded with garlic and rosemary.

Aging a Brunello for decades brings these components into a glorious harmony. Some of us may have cellars that are provisioned with gloriously harmonious ’81 Brunello but most of us need something to drink tonight.  So when Landi is selecting her Rosso, she thinks of us, and chooses Brunello with more fruit, less acid and less tannin – and that is how she chooses the 32 barrels to “declassify” and label Sangiovese Rosso.

This wine almost seemed to need a little more time in the bottle.  Nice red fruits on the palate, not much backbone. Went pretty well with the food, but still was a little off in balance.  May reserve judgement on this, could be my mood and other wines that threw mw off. Priced around $21 -25.

2015 Conn Creek Anthology, Napa Valley, CA

In The Blend - Cabernet Sauvignon 93%, Cabernet Franc 3%, Merlot 3%, Petit Verdot 1%

Aromas - The nose is slightly fresh and yet a little jammy. Black currant, cherry, licorice, and blackberry notes are intertwined with smoke and dusty ones. Red flowers and cotton candy were a bit unexpected for California Cabernet sauvignon.

Palate - On the palate, Conn Creek Anthology expressed itself as juicy, yet elegant wine. The structure built more on acidity than tannins. Although the tannins seemed to be more pleasing.

Black currant, caramelized plum, and blueberry mixed in equal amounts and topped with cocoa make it hard to find the accent. Exactly what we like about good wine.

Finish - The finish is luxurious, lingering, and jammy.

Conclusion - This full-bodied and high alcohol cabernet sauvignon might spend some time in our cellar before we taste it again. Well incorporated tannins make it a good wine ready to drink now. Moderate acidity suggests it would pair well not only with meat but also with cheese dishes.

This is an excellent wine – I think I had this at the winery a few years back. Jammy, with black and red fruits over the palate with hints of dust. Good acid backbone, but still holding some tannin to create a long finish. Originally, only $59, but I got on close-out for $35. If you see this (or other vintages) at a good price – buy it. You won’t regret it.

I hope all is well – until next month, keep popping those corks and I’ll meet you out behind the grapevines.