Summer into Fall – A Range of Reds for Unpredictable Weather

October 11, 2017 By Clive Pursehouse Leave a Comment

As the seasons change we look forward to Autumn’s cooler temperatures, heartier fare, and wines to go with all of the above. This Autumn has been a bit unpredictable, with cooler than normal temperatures in the Mountain West and the Pacific Northwest, while hotter temperatures continue in the East Coast and Mid Atlantic regions. So while we can’t just turn the page on seasonal weather, we can hope to find a range of wines to manage the lack of predictability on the part of Mother Nature. By and large these are value priced red wines that will make you wonder why a spendy splurge is necessary.

2016 Santa Julia Tintillo, Mendoza Argentina $11

A wine for when you’re not quite ready to cover the grill and say good bye for the season. This super fresh blend of Bonarda and Malbec (Bonarda is actually a grape known as Douce Noir from the Savoie region in France, and it may be Argentina’s next big thing.) offers a chill-able red wine (yes, that’s allowed) to help you navigate the up and down temperatures as the seasons change. The fruit forward freshness is present on the wines aromatic profile with lots of cut berries and floral notes. It wouldn’t be out of the question to misidentify this as a Beaujolais. The juicy fruit flavors continue into the palate of the wine with fresh red and blue fruits, a note of clove and cola as well. Perfect for late season burgers or even steaks on the grill, probably with a jacket on.

2014 Poggio al Tufo Rompicollo, Tuscany, Italy $13

From a leading Amarone producer, Tomassi comes a sort of value priced spin on a Super Tuscan wine. A blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is classically rustic in that way that only Tuscany seems to deliver. Aromas of smoke, earth and black berry seem to take the fruit forward nature of Sangiovese and add a hint of sophistication along with a mocha note from the Cabernet Sauvignon. The palate is structured but not austere with a medium body, flavors of black fruit, earth and hints of cocoa powder and more finish than you expect at the $13 price point. Bring on the home made (or not) pasta and pizza.

2014 Viña Bujanda Rioja Crianza, Rioja Spain $14

Crianza is the most approachable of the Rioja range (in comparison with Reserva, or Gran Reserva) younger, and less oak influenced. The twelve months in neutral oak barrels often leaves wine drinkers with a fruit forward, youthful Tempranillo that is hard to compete with in terms of quality to price and drinkability. This 100% Tempranillo from two different estate vineyards is aromatically sophisticated with spicy aromas, black plum and hints of leather. The palate is youthful yet distinguished. Flavors of wild herb, vanilla and a core of dusty black fruit. The wine’s structure and balance are impressive at under $20. A perfect burger wine, if your burger comes with bleu cheese and some sauteed onions.

2014 Trivento Golden Reserve Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina $17

Hailing from the Luján de Cuyo sub region and nearly one hundred year old vines, comes a wine that can redefine value priced wines, and your take on Malbec in general. While Argentina has soared on cheap Malbec, much of it tens to be one dimensional, with a deference to peppery spice. This bottling from Trivento makes use of those old vines and the high altitude to produce a wine that offers an elegance to back up what can often be an overwhelming wine. Aromas of dried violet, mocha powder and leather and a palate of depth, velvety black fruit and white pepper make for a fantastic wine to compliment steaks of the grill.

2010 Caroso Riserva Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Italy $22

For just a hair above our $20 price-point you get a seven year old wine from one of Italy’s unheralded regions, known for straightforward simplicity. While Malbec and Rioja can often come to mind when we are looking for mid-week wines that pack a lot of wine for the price, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo doesn’t often come to mind; and that’s a pity. This wine offers a sense of the region’s ability produce great food wines that compliment anything from humble pasta sauces, to extravagant carnivorous meals.

From old vines in the romantic, if underrated Abruzzo region Montepulciano is a native grape that is dark hued and produces a deep, rich wine. The aromatics from the Caroso Riserva echo that reputation. Black plum, black cherry and smoky notes, along with hints of mocha make for a noteworthy opening. The palate is rich, and nearly luxuriant. Ripe fruit accented with notes of cinnamon, earth and barrel spice.

Fall into Autumn with Languedoc Wines

September 27, 2017 By Clive Pursehouse Leave a Comment

Languedoc might represent the single greatest source of high quality value wines in the world. This wine region that spans the Mediterranean coast known as Languedoc-Roussillon represents France’s largest wine region, with more than twice as many acres as Bordeaux, and nearly ten times more vineyards than Burgundy. One other key element separating it from those two storied regions is that the Languedoc has less of what can be strict and sometimes limiting regulations on wine production.

The sheer size of the region, and its wildly varied soils, weather and topography mean that you can taste a great range of wine types and styles across the Languedoc.The region has also focused on communicating terroir and cultivating a particular character in the region’s sub AOPs. Places like Faugères, Corbières and Minervois all with their particular ways of doing things, governing both quality and style of these regions within the larger Languedoc. It’s also cultivated a very strong reputation for rosé but in comparison to its famous pink wine producing neighbor in Provence, Languedoc rosé offers similar quality at a tremendous value.

2016 M+L French Rosé

In my humble opinion, it’s a massive mistake to think of rosé as “summer water.” The fact is every day and season needs a fruity, lean wine with lots acid. The autumn is when we start to revert to soups, and heartier meals and it’s an error to see it as exclusively, red wine time. A pink wine is your perfect option for Thanksgiving for example. I always hold onto a few bottles that tend to disappear at the end of summer for holiday meals come November and December.

A French rosé bottled by Long Island winery Maiden + Liberty, demonstrates the international appeal of pink juice from the Languedoc. A blend of the Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault and Mourvedre, delivers a pale pink, crisp and fruit forward and perfect for cutting the foggy weather and hearty meals that come with it. This rosé has aromas of wet stone and raspberry and a palate of cut strawberry, rhubarb and even a touch of structure and tannin to hold up against those heavy holiday meals.

2015 Domaine De Fontsainte Rouge, Corbières, France $13

Corbières is the largest AOC within the Languedoc wine region, a region that produces more wine than any one region in the world. Corbières reaches from the hills out to the coast and its diversity is a product of that range. Domaine De Fontsainte is near the town of Boutenac, which gets plenty of sunlight, as well as protection from the elements by the nearby Narbonnaise regional park. The five hundred hectare of forest help to moderate the coastal winds.

That a wine like this can exist for $13 is sort of an indictment on expensive wines. The preponderance of the blend is comprised of Carignan, which undergoes carbonic maceration (part of the Domaine’s signature style). The other 40% of the wine is a blend of Grenache and Syrah. And the three are blended together. The region is known for it’s juicy red blends and this wine certainly delivers on that, but the fruity freshness imparted by the Carignan really amplifies this wines aromatic and flavor profiles. The carbonic maceration plays a major role from the wine’s appearance through the palate. Bright purple hues, and aromas of blueberry and early season blackberry highlight a very fruit driven wine. The palate hints at notes of savory garrigue, but the fruit dominates. Flavors of fresh blackberry compote, raspberry and hints of anise and thyme round out this incredible value.

2013 Chateau Ste. Eulalie Minervois Plaisir d’Eulalie, France $13

Minervois is another of the Languedoc’s great AOCs producing hearty, earth and mineral driven wines. A blend of the same three grapes as the De Fontsainte with the emphasis placed on Grenache in this case. The wine was fermented in stainless steel to keep the emphasis on the bright fruit, and mineral character. From organic and seventy year old Grenache vines, comes a “vin du plaisir” or wine of pleasure that is truly that. Aromatics of red and black berries, turned earth and savory garrigue. The palate is easy going, with notes of minerality and stone and velvety black fruit, the balance and acidity brighten a nice finish.

After Dinner Drink-Cooper & Thief

September 21, 2017 By Clive Pursehouse Leave a Comment

2014 Cooper & Thief Red Blend, Calfornia $29

Wine has many traditions, and the folks who made Cooper & Thief look to have broken, or at least, drastically altered many of them.

The Cooper & Thief red blend, depending on how you look at it, is either an eschewing of tradition, or it’s a riff on wine making practice. While there’s nothing new about barrel aging red wines to extract taste and complexity, I don’t believe it’s ever been done with bourbon barrels before (three months in bourbon barrels to be exact). The blend of Merlot and Syrah, along with dots and dashes of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Cabernet Sauvignon is rich and ripe. The wine is very much done in a style of a ruby port, with similar alcohol content and punch.

The wine is richly aromatic with notes of black plum, clove and vanilla. The palate matches with a rich redolence, velvety black fruit, mocha powder and a prune note. The flavors are accented certainly by the bourbon barrels but the wine does not come off as gimmicky or kitsch. The finish is long lasting and mouth coating. It tastes like a well made after dinner drink and can likely be enjoyed upon opening for an extended time period.

While this wine clocks in above our $20 price point, it’s well worth you paying a bit extra for, particularly if you’re new to Port and port-style wines, this American blend could very well be a gateway wine.

Drink More Chenin Blanc- From France to South Africa

August 6, 2017 By Clive Pursehouse Leave a Comment

Chenin Blanc is not a wine that is on the mind of lots of American wine drinkers and that may be because it is not largely produced here in the States. This white wine those is wildly versatile in style and can even be confused for a Chardonnay when made in particular ways. If there is one region that is associated with Chenin Blanc historically that has been the Loire Valley in France. The AOCs Vouvray, Savennières, and in sparkling form Saumur. The wine can be finicky when it comes to attaining ripeness in the cooler Loire Valley but it has found perhaps a more natural home in the wine regions of South Africa.

It’s likely that Chenin Blanc arrived in South Africa during the days of the Dutch East India Trading Company as a part of a collection of vine cuttings that arrived in the seventeenth century during the ugly days of colonization. For a very long time (hundreds of years) the grape was known as Steen. In the 1960s Steen was in fact identified as Chenin Blanc, and since then, this white wine from the Loire has become synonymous with South Africa.

2015 Famille Bougrier Chenin Blanc, France $10

While Bougrier produces a Vouvray bottling this is a Chenin Blanc from farther afield. A Vin de France designation. Done in an off-dry style this will be a popular wine with folks who are attracted to sweet ripe fruit character that is often more closely associated with New World styles of Chenin Blanc. Aromas of orange blossom and honeysuckle, a palate of ripe sweet orange and hints of lemon creme.

2015 Indaba Chenin Blanc, Western Cape, South Africa $9

A blend of vineyards from three different growing areas, comes a blend that aims to capture the signature of what has become South Africa’s signature grape. The Indaba Winery is serious about its social commitment from both their stewardship of the environment to a comprehensive Montessori education program aimed at Black South African communities in the country’s wine region. This Chenin is a wine you can feel good about.
The aromas of effusive and fruity and the wine is dry in style but offers plenty of sweet floral aromas, the palate is ample citrus and tropical fruits. Flavors of pineapple, blood orange and lemon.

2016 Solms Delta Chenin Blanc, Western Cape, South Africa $13

A fruit forward and exuberantly easy drinking Chenin Blanc with lots of tropical aromas of passionfruit and pineapple. The palate is juicy ripe peach and apricot, a slight hint of minerality and round ripe pineapple.

While Chenin Blanc can make for simple, very quaffable white wines in a variety of bottlings, it also shows a sense of complexity and depth and in some iterations can be confused for a mineral driven Chardonnay in style and character. One of the region’s best known producers is Ken Forrester and it’s easy to see why. The approach and seriousness with which they take Chenin Blanc there is evident in the number of different bottlings. There are eight different bottlings of Chenin Blanc that I could track down in a variety of styles, from sparkling to dessert. The Ken Forrester winery has a world renowned reputation built on their commitment to this white grape.

2016 Ken Forrester Old Vine Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch, South Africa $16

This wine is really impressive and could easily be confused with a terroir inspired Chardonnay. The approach with this wine differs because it spends ample time on the lees, and a restrained use of oak has created a really elegant and remarkable wine, that drinks at three to four times the price.

Aromas of coriander, chalk, honey and lemon creme hint at a Chardonnay from the Mâcon rather than the often fruity Chenin Blanc from the Stellenbosch. The palate is layered, with honey, ripe peach, creme and wet stone. This is a wine that can make the case for excellence in South African winemaking and its certainly convincing that Chenin Blanc may be more at home in South Africa than the Loire.

A Pink Parade for Summer Sippin’

July 21, 2017 By Clive Pursehouse Leave a Comment

Perhaps one of the greatest things about the summer is that it coincides with the time when we’re cooking and eating food that goes great outside; with rosés. Pink wine has made a tremendous comeback and is making inroads in new parts of the world where it was never produced before. Over the last five years or so serious wine drinkers have moved on from those sickly sweet White Zinfandels to dry rosé wines that are made in the style that has never gone out of style in places like Provence in the south of France.

These days dry rosés are coming from everywhere in the wine producing world and a lot of them are very good often times sourced from vineyards where higher end red wines are also made. Rosé is made in a couple different ways, but the key to the color is in the maceration process and how much time the fresh pressed juice spends in contact with the broken grape skins which lend the wine its color. In rosé production maceration is short (particularly in comparison with red wine production). The main methods of production for rosé is to cut the maceration time short to produce the pink color the winemaker is going for, or to use the saignée which is French for bleed. In this method of production a percentage of the fresh pressed wine is “bled off” to allow the red wine to concentrate and this by-product often becomes rosé.

Production methods aside, now is a great time to stock up on rosé from all around the world, and we’ve got seven rosés for you to fall in love with.

2016 Ferraton Père et Fils, Côtes-du-Rhône « Samorëns » Rose, France $12

A blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault from the Northern Rhône valley. The wine is bright and boisterous. Pale pink with red berry fruit aromatics, and glimpses of wet stone. The palate is fresh and zesty. Grapefruit, red raspberry and early season nectarine flavors delivered with a zip that hints at fresh mint.

2016 Feudo Maccari Rosé IGP, Sicily, Italy $16

While Sicily is a very hot climate, the influence of the Mediterranean Sea that surrounds this island has allowed it to continue to produce wines with brilliant acidity. The 2016 growing season was cooler with This wine produced from 100% Nero d’Avola is super fresh, light bodied and a brilliant example of what Italian rosé, which is still developing in popularity, can do. Aromas of early season cherry, honeysuckle, and rhubarb. The palate is light and lively with hints of structure and ample acidity. Flavors of juicy raspberry, cut strawberry and a hint of citrus.

2016 Bodvár House of Rosés, No. 1, Languedoc-Rousillon, France $20

Coming from precisely you’d expect it, Sweden. The Bodvár rosés are a celebration of the best pink wine producing regions of the South of France, the Côtes de Provence and the Languedoc-Rousillon. The packaging is beautiful. The Bodvár family of Sweden has a long history of curating luxury items from the best producing parts of the world. The House of Rosés project is the first label committed to producing exclusively pink wines. The Pearly White, or No 1, is produced from 100% Cinsault and typical to the Languedoc region offers an effusive range of aromas. Citrus fruits mix with floral aromatics and even hints of the wild herbs and shrubs that cover the hills in this part of the Mediterranean. The palate is lean and lively with cut berry and fresh mint.

2016 Tiamo Organic Rosé, Terre di Chieti I.G.T., Italy $19 (four pack)
So, I’ve been pretty skeptical of the idea of wines in a can; very skeptical in fact, but I have to say, i was pleasantly shocked by this wine. The Tiamo Organic Rosé (in a can) is really, really nice. Made from 100% Montepulicano from the Abruzzo region, this canned wine, tastes like… wine. There’s no metallic taste whatsoever and the fruit character of the wine is particularly emphatic. I poured it into a glass, and beware, a can of wine is like 3 or so glasses of wine, so go easy tiger. The wine is a hint darker than some of the pale pink we’re seeing; it’s loaded with a fresh fruity aromatic, with floral notes. The palate has a pleasant red berry core, fleshy stone fruits and a mid-weight mouthfeel accented by a nice acidity.

2016 Maryhill Winery Rosé, Columbia Valley, Washington $16

Made from 100% Sangiovese from Washington’s Yakima Valley is a pink wine that is slightly darker hued than a lot of the really pale pink that is popular these days. The aromatics are robust with ripe raspberry, rhubarb and cherry. The palate is rounder, with fleshy red fruits, and a dab of sweetness that is braced really nicely with ample acidity. This is a rosé with a little more body and more than enough gumption to stand up to a grilled burger or ribs.

We often think of drinking rosé as a sort of time bound experience. Like, hey man, hurry up! The freshness and in season element of pink wine that makes it so appealing, you can however hold onto rosé and I definitely recommend hanging onto some of it until Thanksgiving. It’s rare to age rosé, but not unheard of. The wines of Bandol in Provence are known for their age-ability, this is due to the grape from which they’re made; Mourvedre. A grape when young can be a bit much to handle does wonders after a few years. Holding onto a rosé though is often a good idea, and so here are two that have held up well from the 2015 vintage and in fact for the winemakers of these wines, these rosés are just hitting their stride.

2015 Raimat, Castell de Raimat Rosé, Spain $14

A winery that has been producing wines sustainably for over 100 years. Raimat was started in 1914 by Manuel Raventós, whose father had pioneered Cava production in Catalonia’s Penedes region. Looking for new vineyard lands he found himself in the arid deserts in the province of Lleida. Years of developing irrigation and a commitment to producing high quality wines has elevated Raimat’s status among Spanish wine producers. From the little known Spanish DO Costers del Segre in Catalonia comes a pale pink blend of Cabernet and Tempranillo from Raimat. While this is a vintage on the wine has done a remarkable job retaining its acidity. It’s lean, lithe and very elegant. Floral and faint fruit aromatics, and a super complex palate of herbs, blood orange and crushed stone.

2015 De Bos Walker Bay 47 Varietal Rosé, South Africa $12

From a production point of view this is perhaps the wackiest bottle of wine you might find. Having grown up in Pittsburgh, I have a real appreciation for Heinz, and their 57 varieites, but this is a bottle of rosé, and it’s only ten grape short of qualifying for Heinz status. The fruit for this particular bottling comes from the “vine garden” vineyard. A former vine nursery developed in South Africa to cultivate quality wine grapes that would be successful there. So this wine is made from 47 of them. Blends of red and wine grapes specifically selected for their higher acids, lower alcohol and fresh fruit signature.

The De Bos operation, in addition to making great wine does a lot of things right. Sustainable cultivation, renewable energy and perhaps most uniquely, they’re employee owned. The wines are Fair Trade certified, and delicious. This pink wine is effusively aromatic with notes of rhubarb and cut berries. The palate is light, crisp and balanced with red berry fruit and fresh mint. Just for fun, these are all the grapes in the wine:

Shiraz (Syrah) 13.45% Cabernet Sauvignon 12.78% Pinot Noir 10.32% Merlot 8.86% Pinot Gris 6.17% Pinotage 4.48% Semillon 3.06% Pinot Blanc 2.58% Roussanne 2.24% Cabernet Franc 1.68% Cinsaut 1.68% Malbec 1.68% Muskadel 1.46% Chardonnay 1.40% Chenin Blanc 1.40% Colombar 1.40% Sauvignon Blanc 1.40% Nouvelle 1.35% Carigan 1.23% Morio Muscat 1.23% Tempranillo 1.23% Tinta Barocca 1.23% Clairette Blanche 1.12% Durif 1.12% Petit Verdot 1.12% Tannat 1.12% Weisser Reisling 1.08% Crouchen 1.01% Muscat de Frontignan 1.01% Nebbiolo 1.01% Grenache Noir 0.90% Souzao 0.90% Mataro 0.78% Sangiovese 0.78% Touriga Nacional 0.67% Meunier 0.56% Roobernet 0.56% Ruby Cabernet 0.56% Bukettraube 0.45% Gewurztraminer 0.45% Touriga Franca 0.45% Zinfandel 0.43% Tinta Amarella 0.22% Viognier 0.22% Verdelho 0.11% Muscat D’Alexandrie 0.02%