It Starts With A Grape

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Just in case anyone is wondering about the whole ‘old vine’ thing, it implies that the wine was made from grapes produced literally from old vines. There is no rule in place that says the wine really has to be from old vines, but reputable producers don’t use the term loosely. Just like you can taste when wine came from ‘young’ vines, you can also tell when it comes from old vines (generally). But enough with the tech talk, on to the good stuff…

This red beauty has a rich bouquet of raisins, blackberry jam, and molasses, with hints of eucalyptus and strong brewed chai tea. It has a ridiculously smooth and silky mouth feel, delivering huge deep fruit flavors to your taste buds.  Super soft, but structured tannins are the perfect vehicle for its jammy fruit flavors, reminiscent of a spiced fig tart. Clove and toasted oak linger on its lengthy finish. Enjoy it with chipotle-BBQ chicken, or super sharp cheese.

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It can be hard for Merlot drinkers to step outside their ‘comfort merlot’ because of the wide range of flavors and styles they come in. When I think of Merlot, this one in particular hits the mark. Its nose is filled with jammy blackberry, ripe plumb, black cherries, smooth oak and caramel. Though its on the lighter side of being heavy bodied, its certainly not lacking in flavor, and it has a fantastic velvety mouth feel. Plenty of cherry and blackberry carries over to the palate, initially accompanied by cracked black pepper. As it opens up dark cocoa emerges leading into a super smokey finish. Its a picture perfect Merlot, big on fruit, but balanced out with all that toasty caramelized oak. It would lend itself very well to char-grilled ribs, with a side of green beans and corn bread.

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Its a deep, dense ruby color, with visibly thick legs; you can tell just by looking at this Zin that its gonna be a big one. Super concentrated dark chocolate clearly dominates the noes, with aromas of rhubarb pie, red tea, and hints of cinnamon encased in a warm oak blanket. Plenty of that dark cocoa carries over to the palate, complimented by black pepper, and understated but juicy ripe cherries. For the price, this is one sophisticated wine. Its got a bone dry finish of oak, cassis and cocoa. Pair it with Chipotle BBQed ribs and grilled earthy veggies for a match made in vino heaven.

No, its not a type-o, its really just $3.99. Don’t ask me why or how, because i don’t know. It opens with an ample amount of super ripe, jammy fruit, fallowed by sweet cherry tobacco. This particular petite sirah leans more towards the light-medium bodied side. Its good and juicy, but plenty of smokey tobacco carries onto the palate, with hints of milk chocolate. Cherry flavors are definitely the highlight of this one, along with plump, ripe raspberries. It may not be a huge red, but its simple fruit forward character makes for one easy drinking wine. It good on its own, but i think it would really shine if paired with something along the lines of roasted, rosemary pork or lamb, with a cherry glaze.

Well, its a beautiful shade of magenta, and has a mighty fragrant nose. As a matter of fact, about five minutes after un-corking you’ll probably find your neighbor on your doorstep asking for a  glass. Its packed with jammy raspberries, soft oak, blueberry, and nuances of vanilla. In contrast to its super fruity nose, its a little on the earthy side, but remains juicy. Being a typical merlot, if there is such thing anymore, its medium bodied with a fair amount of tannin. The finish is lengthy and soft, with traces of tobacco and plum lingering on the palate. It pairs well with a mild creamy cheese, or rotisserie chicken and herb’ed red potatoes.

Syrah, Sangiovese, Barbera, Tannat, Granache, and Mourvedre. What more could you ask for? This most impressive California blend, displaying a beautiful deep purple color, definitely packs a punch. It opens with a nose of sweet black cherries and toasty oak, followed by a silky smooth texture and black berries on the palate. There’s quite a bit of oak, so much so that it would be borderline offensive, if not for the ultra bright fruit. This is what i like to call a ‘fun wine’ , its got nice body, plenty of flavor, and is moderately easy drinking. Being medium-heavy bodied, and hugely fruit forward, it would be a fantastic pair for chipotle grilled spare ribs, but it could be paired with something as easy as a BBQ’ed char-grilled burger with crispy fried onions.

Opening with a beautiful display of fruit, including peaches and papaya, this particular Viognier is on the heavier side of being medium bodied, and is a lovely shade of gold. Oh, just in case you were wondering its pronounced vee-on-yay. There are subtle hints of rosemary and honeysuckle on the noes, and it has a most interesting mouth feel. Its creamy and round, but has a certain mineralistic quality to it, slate-y if you will. This, combined with its ample acidity, does a fine job at cutting through the otherwise “sweet” fruit flavors. It would be a sure fire home run with me, except for its lack of spice. None the less, its very tasty, and, due to its lengthy lemon grass finish, would lend itself well to such foods as a pear and walnut salad, topped with super creamy Gorgonzola, in a lite balsamic vinaigrette, or anything that plays with creamy texture and sweet but tart flavors.

Alright, so, i have to say, when i turned this bottle over and read of its contents, i was nothing less than intrigued. This blend,hailing from California, consists of Barbera, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignane, and Alicante Bouchet grapes. Think its a mouth full to say? Well, its a mouth full to drink! Its a beautiful shade of ruby red, with just hints of brick. This blend has a super fragrant nose, raspberry jam, sweet dark cherries and cloves, just to name a few. (At this point i became really excited) This is a huge, juicy wine, with a mouth feel like silk. All those cherries on the noes translated into ‘right off the tree’ cherries on the palate, balanced out with some serious lingering oak. Its simply a perfectly done wine, which would go great with an array of dishes; Bourbon glazed grilled steak comes to mind, or something BBQ’ed. The cheese is definitely Gorgonzola, or you could just drink it all by itself.

This California chard opens with a bouquet full of tropical fruits. Papaya and mango will be among the first to emerge, followed by hints of pineapple. There is minimal oak on the nose, and not much carries over to the palate. Clearly geared towards the fruit, and executed well. Its definitely on the lighter side, the tannin structure could be a little stronger, however the simply done fruit is enough to merit this chardonnay a good rating, and good value. It will pair well with delicately seasoned lemon grass, chicken, or a light grilled fish. As for cheese, stick with something thats not to heavy, Brie would be a good choice, paired with some apricot preserves, mmm…