The wines of August 2022

    It was a hot month - and dry. I still managed to drink some wine - and I upgraded my old (10 year) home computer. Any typos are due to the new keyboard, not my fat fingers (hah).

2019 Sterling Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley, Ca

throughout the valley—from the cool southern Carneros region to the warm and rugged northernmost reaches of the valley near Calistoga. These incredible vineyards give winemaker Harry Hansen some of the best Napa Valley fruit to select from and craft these unique, intensely flavored and expressive wines.

Lush, mouthfilling grapefruit and kiwi flavors ride a nicely tangy texture in this rather full-bodied, fruity and generous wine. It's unoaked and made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes.   RATING90

Never been a big fan of Sauv Blanc, but when it’s hot, and the wine sees no oak, it is pretty refreshing.  I was pleased with this Napa bottle that I got for around $11. Well worth that price.

2019 Chateau De Mattes Saban Corbieres Viala France

Region Languedoc-Roussillon

Sub-Region Corbières

Soil Gravel & Limestone

Farming Sustainable

BlendGrenache 60%, Syrah 20%, Mourvèdre 20%

Alcohol 14.3%

Do you like Châteuneuf-du-Pape? How about Cornas? If yes, what would you say to a

Mediterranean French red that tasted like a magical combination of the two for just $20? Bring it on! Château de Mattes-Sabran rocked our world in a way few southern French reds have lately; a lot of the reds from this part of the world are playing checkers, but this one is a chess Grandmaster. Grown in scrubby, sun-soaked hillside vineyards strewn with the same kind of galets roulés (large granite stones) found in Châteauneuf, the old-vine Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre in “Le Viala” work together in perfect harmony, taking you straight to France’s south coast without any excess baggage. Like our favorite wines from the southern (and northern) Rhône, this tastes not just of fruit but of the dusty, rocky slopes that fruit is grown in, with the freshness that comes from a site with a little bit of altitude. With Winter approaching and a whole new set of wines about to take their place on center stage, We’re pushing this one out front for a star turn.

This wine was a little surprising. Nice fruit on the nose and on first taste. Then a little scub brush, and then a final taste of anise melting into a mint flavor. Unusual, but actually a nice flavor. Good acidity to go with foods, shined with grilled meat – priced around $16.  Nice buy.

2017 Familia Furlotti Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina

Heavy Malbec tendencies shine through in this wine, but they are restrained, refined and concise.   Blueberry, blackberry, boysenberry and cream of tartar are vibrant and sultry. Long family traditions help guide the grapes into the bottle.  The wine shows French oak aging, but it does not overpower the wine, nor does it contribute any density.  A truly pure expression of clean, high-altitude, old-vine Malbec.

Not a bad Malbec, but this wine was a little hollow in the mid palate.  Not a fruit bomb, nice restraint and went with beef very well. Still, bothered me a little with that mid-palate and short after-taste. Priced around $15, OK for a school night wine.

NV Marietta Old Vine Red Lot 73, California

OVR Lot Number 73 is bright and juicy, with strawberry and black raspberry supported by savory notes of briar and slate. The fruity and fresh Zinfandel from 2020 is given added complexity and length by barrel aged Syrah and Petite Sirah from 2019 and 2018. A touch of Grenache and Barbera add a more complex red fruit character and hint of red licorice and white pepper.

Pair the Old Vine Red with a wide range of foods: pizza, pasta, burgers, roasted vegetables, mushrooms, and tacos.

RP95Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The NV OVR Lot 73 is composed mainly of Zinfandel with smaller portions of Syrah, Petite Sirah, Carignan and Barbera. Medium ruby, it offers intense red cherry, blood orange and apricot perfume with accents of rooibos tea leaves, red licorice, saline, lilac and loads of spicy nuances. The medium-bodied palate is light on its feet with soft tannins, bursts of refreshing acidity and detailed amaro accents on the long finish. This is so easy to drink!

Not sure about dome of Parker’s flavors, but this was a real god sipping wine that had the heft to match grilled meats. Moderate finish, almost no tannins but good acidity for the food.  I think this is around $16 – it has wine from 2018, 2019 and zinfandel from 2020. Priced around $15, this is a buy several bottles to have around.

2015 No Curfew Red Blend, California

"As the blend of 92% Zinfandel and 8% Petite Sirah opens up, its delightful array of floral aromas proves quite appealing. Dark fruit laced with lavender splashes the palate alongside round tannins; the ripe character shows both a sweet side and a savory component..."

 

When you get a wine for $6, you think – plonk. However, it is more expensive on-line. Reality –it is a very nice sipping wine with decent acidity and body to match uncomplicated meals.  If you find it under $10, buy and try it – you will not be disappointed.

2021 Argiolas ‘Costamolino’ Vermintino, Sardinia, Italy

Sardinian Vermentino is one of the great undersung white wines in the world, and Argiolas’ 2021 Costamolino is one of the island’s standard-bearing bottles. Crisp, mouthwatering, and succulent, packed with stone fruit and orange zest, it’s the perfect summertime white—and the kind of infinitely versatile wine to pair with everything from grilled halibut to hamachi crudo with salsa verde.

 

The island’s climate results in a gloriously crisp take on the grape. Transposed between continents, Sardinia is a place where beauty arises from a meeting of extremes. Picture ocean-sprayed, rocky coasts and long, flat plains, plus hot southern winds from Africa that collide with cool gusts funneling down from France.

This is a wine that defines minerality – great nose and body. Makes you want some seafood to have right then. Fine as a sipper, with that bit of orange with the other tastes of pine and stone fruit. Decent aftertaste, this is a great white wine. Priced around $20, buy this if you are serving any thing from the water (except catfish, cause you know… catfish).

2020 Devil’s Corner Pinot Noir, Tasmania, Australia

A Pinot Noir that’s uniquely Tasmanian, from a place unlike anywhere else.

Vineyard Region:             Tasmania             Wine Analysis:   Alc/Vol: 12.5%

Colour: This Pinot Noir is brightly coloured with youthful purple tones.

Aroma: A strongly perfumed style redolent of spicy black cherry, dark fruits and hints of raspberries.

Palate:  The wine displays a juicy, sweet-fruit middle palate with soft, ripe tannins and fresh acidity.

Peak Drinking:   Until 2024

Fruit-driven, elegant, and made to drink now, this Pinot Noir is brightly colored with a palate to match, boasting generous flavors of ripe cherry, raspberries and spice.

A versatile food wine that can be enjoyed with light or heavy dishes. Try this with pan fried duck breast and roasted Mediterranean vegetables. Or serve it with venison that is drizzled in a red wine and black pepper jus.

This is better as a si[pper – it would hold it’s own against lighter fare – not a slab of beef.  Seem bright in the flavor, little acidity and a very modest aftertaste.  Not French, no California – this guy sets up as pure Tasmanian – little devil!  Priced from $20 – 24, not bad, although I am not a Pinot enthusiast. 

2020 Corvo ‘Irmana’ Frappato, Sicily, Italy

Made from hand-picked Frappato grapes, Irmàna is an authentic expression of this grape variety. Velvety on the palate, with mild tannins, it is very smooth and has an aromatic persistence on the palate, while the nose is filled with subtle hints of rose and violet. The new design of the Line inspired by naturalness takes us simply into a world of sky and soil, sun and wind.

Drinking Frappato is like jumping into a giant pool of brightly-colored plastic balls.

Typical Tasting Notes: Pomegranate, Sweet Strawberry, White Pepper, Tobacco, Clove

Why Frappato is Awesome: Frappato is one of the few red wines out there that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Still, its sweet-smelling fruit flavors and pale red color aren’t something to poo poo. Frappato might actually be genetically related to Sangiovese (Italy’s top red wine, mind you). Plus, it’s perfectly at home growing on a live volcano (Mount Etna in Sicily)!

 

This wine is not to be taken seriously.  A touch sweet, a little tannins, kinda funky, yet enjoyable.  What I call a fun wine, much more of a sipper by a fire or on a beach. Priced under $20, worth it for the fun of having Frappato!

2019 Domaine Petroni Red, Corsica, France

Wonderful raspberry and ripe strawberry fruits as well as spice, flowers, and a beautiful chalky minerality all emerge from the 2019 Corse, a medium-bodied, fresh, seamless, impeccably balanced red from Corsica. It has plenty of classic Mediterranean spice and garrigue nuances, yet it holds onto a wonderful sense of freshness, focus, and elegance, and is just a joy to drink.

The rouge is a blend of 50% Niellucciu, 35% Syrah, and 15% Grenache. Grapes are fermented in concrete tanks and aged 12 months in stainless steel to preserve the fresh fruit-driven aspects of the wine.

This Corsican wine is very solid, with tannins, moderate acidity and that drying mouthfeel. Might use a year or so of aging, to bring some harmony. Not a sipping wine, but one that cries out for that slab of beef and garlic potatoes. Unique and worth trying – priced from $20 – 24, so you can say you’ve had Niellucciu.

Hope you are ready for fall – I know I am. Keep popping those corks and I’ll meet you out behind the grapevines.