posted on 24 April 2009 by jeff
Merlot is a misunderstood grape. Dan correctly attributed much of this to the influence of the hell-spawned Hollywood film, Sideways; a film which is also rumored to have tipped the mob off to the whereabouts of Lowell Mather, (make note: Wings jokes=rock bottom). As devastating as the film was for Merlot, I think it’s important to note that California was doing a bang-up job of strangling the grape long before Hollywood shanked it in the back.
All that said, smart consumers can find killer California Merlot if they choose the right growing area. Cooler temperatures, clay-based soils, and higher altitudes breed ripe, strongly structured Merlot. Lake County, north of Napa, offers all of these.
The 2004 reserve bottling of Merlot from Wildhurst Vineyards, located on the north side of Clear Lake, is a prime example of Lake County’s Merlot pedigree. The wine is hued a reddish-purple and has a surprisingly dark, and earthy aroma. Though the fruit is ripe, this is definitely a wine whose big, broad tannins suggest Merlot’s over-looked capacity for depth and structure. About forty-five minutes after opening, a delightful undertone of chewy cedar begins to surface. And though it’s a bit light in the finish, the slightly loamy, bitter-chocolate end notes are not only pleasant, but a refreshing alternative to the ever present viscosity that has so degraded Merlot’s reputation.
At $15 this wine is not life-changing. It is, however, more than worth it’s price tag. Moreover, this is not a “Merlot” drinker’s Merlot, it’s a wine drinker’s Merlot. For all it brings plenty of enjoyable fruit to the table, this wine’s focus and balance are what keep it compelling.
J.
Tags: bordeaux, California, dan, lake county, lowell mather, merlot, Napa, paul giamatti, sideways, wall st. journal, wildhurst, wretched
Category: Wine Reviews | Comments (1)
posted on 17 March 2009 by jeff
South America is currently as hot as any wine-producing region on Earth. Every store’s shelves are stocked with nearly as many bottles from Mendoza and Colchagua as from Napa and Bordeaux. Wine buyers who were a few years ago incapable of locating the Andes mountains on a map, now sing the praises of mountain-grown Malbec. This posting is, accordingly, an obvious attempt to capitalize on the overwhelming popularity these wine have achieved.
Yali’s Cabernet Sauvignon/Carmenere blend is an admirable addition to the the aforementioned acceleration of Chile’s international acclaim, (how’s that for alliteration). At under $12, it fits with South America’s reputation as a price-conscious shopper’s dream. Additionally, it’s not a wine which one fill find in many places, and so should succeed in satisfying even the most well-informed boozehound.
In the glass the wine is clear, cranberry-tinged, ruby color. The nose suggests a spiced, cooked fruit aroma.
Though there is a lot of fruit on the palate of this wine, it is not necessarily the fruit I was expecting. There is a distinct red-berry tartness in this wine which I don’t immediately associate with either of the present grapes. This is not unpleasant. In point of fact, this wine is refreshingly fun; it definitely falls into the, “drink me now, drink me often” category. I suspect it will be excellent out-of-doors come summer.
I recommend grabbing this wine on a weeknight when you’re not sure what’s for dinner and you don’t care. This is a wine that works when you want something you can drink until it’s gone. Pick the right sunny day, and this will be perfect on a picnic with your significant other, (or that picture of Blanche from the Golden Girls that Tony carts around with him).
Tags: blanche, bordeaux, cabernet sauvignon, carmenere, chile, colchagua, malbec, mendoza, Napa, tony
Category: Wine Reviews | Comments (0)
posted on 5 March 2009 by dan
One of our wine reps walks in the store around noon today asking do we want to taste some wine? with this bag stuffed with bottles hanging off his shoulder. And he pulls out six bottles of Charles Krug: five varietals from the 1861 appellation, plus a bottle of Generations, which has a little bit of everything in it. And so we say ok and we grab some cups and this rep pours out some sauvignon blanc and so we sip it and Jeff says wow. Which is notable.
For those of you unfamiliar with Charles Krug, the winery has the distinction of Peter Mondavi ownership and operation. Peter Mondavi and the rest of the Mondavi’s are to wine what the Kennedy’s once were to Am. govt. Check out The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty. The Amazon product review calls it “a tale of genius, sibling rivalry, and betrayal”. What with all the drama, it’s easy to forget the Mondavi family still produces some incredible bottles. These 1861 Charles Krug’s come from a winery recently remodeled after the original winery est. in that year, which was also the first winery est. in Napa. The 1861 is a brand-spanking-new label with an implicit statement of its own deep-rooted history.
As to this sauv blanc: function follows form. Grassy and reeking of citrus like any good s.b., it manages to straddle the old world and the new world with (frankly) surprising dexterity. Softer around the edges than its traditional French counterparts, but with a firmer center than most of the Cali interpretations. It’s immediately drinkable, but it leaves a lasting impression. Which is what makes Jeff say wow and I say yeah. The rep smiles, being a rep and all and enjoying making buyers say wow. It turns us into suckers.
For those of you unfamiliar with Jeff, he buys all the wine for dT and, plus, is in possession of an oft-frustrating depth of wine-knowledge. Like most in possession of such a knowledge, he tends to lean more towards the old school, citing claims of delicacy and subtlety and whatnot. California, then, and all the new school hedonists are needlessly over-the-top. So it’s rare a Napa wine will make Jeff say wow, but this is a Napa wine and Jeff says wow.
dT’s crazy today: we just got a whole coffee station (coffee by the cup or by the pound now available, by the way), we just got new signs for our wine deparment, a whole portfolio of interesting beers just became available to us… but after everything, what seems the most notable is that a wine from California made Jeff say wow.
Tags: American White, California White, Napa, sauvignon blanc
Category: The Wine Blog | Comments (0)
