posted on 10 May 2009 by jeff
At first glance, the wines of Vinedos de Ithaca (VdI) seem out of place. Though they’re Spanish in origin, the labels and names of the wines carry a Greek theme. The winery’s flagship line is named for clever Odysseus, and VdI’s dessert wine for Odysseus’ faithful wife Penelope. The vineyard’s younger vines are turned into Akyles, the winery’s fresh, vibrant counterpart to the darkly powerful Odysseus.
Akyles pours a dark, extracted purple: nearly black. It’s full of bright, punguent aromas of blackberries and redcurrants. The palate leads with juicy berry-fruit notes, but ultimately suggests the sharp red fruits one expects from younger-vine Garnacha. The hot Catalan sun and the Priorat’s slate-rich soils have gifted VdI with wonderfully focused fruit, and the winery’s young winemaker, Sylvia Puig, has succeeded in crafting a beautifully balanced and executed wine.
So if you’re looking for a gift for that lover of epic Greek poetry, or perhaps that friend who just can’t live without some northern Spanish red, this is the wine for you. Just one sip of this and you’ll have all the strength you need to sail the “wine-dark sea” and slay Trojans.
J.
Tags: akyles, garnacha, greece, odysseus, priorat, spain, sylvia puig, vinedos de ithaca
Category: Wine Reviews | Comments (0)
posted on 23 March 2009 by jeff
Terry Hoage is a large man. Terry Hoage is not large like other men are large; he is the special kind of huge only seen in those born to be professional athletes. There is a menacing quality to his size, a reminder that he once made his living assaulting equally large men. A former All-American and Super Bowl champion, Mr. Hoage patrolled the defensive backfield for a number of teams over 13 NFL seasons. I was, therefore, more than a little bit surprised when I heard that he would be stopping by the shop to promote his Paso Robles winery.
What was more surprising was the overwhelming quality of Mr. Hoage’s wines. Using Rhone varietals, the College Football Hall of Famer manages to suggest the spicy depth of the eponymous river valley while expressing the intensity of Paso Robles. As with the mountain-grown Garnacha of northern Spain, Paso’s hot days and cool nights definitely produce a focused structure in Hoage’s Grenache, named “Skins” for his former employers the Washington Redskins. Hoage’s blackberry and violet-laden Syrah benefits from the the vineyard’s calcerous soil, which retains moisture and promotes later ripening and development of the grape. Ultimately, what is most notable about all of Mr. Hoage’s wines is the care with which he cultivates and produces them.
None of the Hoage wines can be construed as cheap. The hand-crafted character of the wines coupled with a tiny production volume means these are special occasion purchases for most wine buyers. That being said, when that special occasion does arise, keep these wines in mind, you will not be disappointed.
J.
Tags: all-american, blackberry, calcerous, football, garnacha, grenache, nfl, paso robles, rhone, syrah, terry hoage, violet, washington redskins
Category: The Wine Blog | Comments (0)
