2010 CHALK HILL Estate Red Blend Sonoma
I was given a bottle of this wine by a former Manager of the West Lebanon Liquor outlet, he knew my palate from working with me on purchases of Cabernet and other red blends from Sonoma and Alexander Valley. He told me " I know you're going to like this wine " and he was right, I went back and bought 6 bottles of this wine.... the reviews at that time said it needed a good steak or a food with some fat to offset the tannins, or stick it in the cellar and forget about it until 2018 and beyond.
I've opened a bottle once a year starting in 2018 to judge how it's evolving, I can say that it is now where I like the balance of fruit and structure (tannins and acidity) it has definitely softened but still has a ton of fruit left.
I don't normally drop this much on a bottle of wine, but for special occasions this is worth the price. At the time it retailed for $40.00 per bottle, but there was an introductory price of $30.00, and a 15% case sale going on, and I'd been given a gift card for my birthday which I added in on the purchase. I bought 6 of the Chalk Hill and 6 other bottles of a wine costing $8.00.... I ended up paying about $23.00 per bottle. Alas, the retail price is now around $50.00 per bottle depending on where you buy it, still a good value. A Napa red of this quality will run you between $80 and $100 per bottle.
This vintage was a blend of 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 15% Malbec, 12% Petite Verdot, 10% Syrah, and 1% Carmenere. Each vintage is a slightly different blend of grapes, depending on the growing season. It has a dark red, almost black hue to it with nice long legs on the side of the glass...
This opens with notes of blackberries, cherry, plum, pipe tobacco, and spice in the nose. The palate tastes of cherry, blackberries and blueberries, the tannins are now fine grained instead of chalky. You can taste each fruit as it fades pleasantly away, the wine is really starting to hit it's stride now. I'm thinking that I should have bought a case of it, but that's how it goes. This is how I build my collection of wines, a ratio of everyday wine, to a selection of great quality wine purchased at the right time.
This wine is available in the NH Liquor outlets for $60 per bottle, and at Total Wine in Natick MA for $52, or 10% less if you buy 6 or more qualifying bottles. A special occasion wine that will pair nicely with grilled red meat or herbed prime rib. A meat lasagna might also work well too....
Cheers!
Ed
Sunday, March 8, 2020
2015 Viña Zaco Albariño Rias Baixas Spain
I first tried a wine made from the Albariño grape about 15 years ago, I was reading an article in the Wine Enthusiast that highlighted wines from Spain, and the author described this grape as having a floral nose similar to a Riesling, with the flavor and crispness of a Sauvignon blanc.
I knew that I liked Riesling wines, whether off dry or sweet, and the Sauvignon blanc wines from New Zealand in a good vintage can be special. So I went looking for what I could find, and came home with 2 bottles. One was from Burgans, the other was from Martin Codax. One wine had a nice full mouthfeel, and was slightly off dry. The other was dryer, more crisp but still pleasant, and both had beautiful aromatics and flavors.
The Rias Baixas region is in the North west corner of Spain, on the Atlantic ocean. It seems to grow best here, and is a perfect match with the locally caught seafood. The grape has grown in popularity to the point that there is a risk of over production and losing the uniqueness that makes it special. Some producers have made it sweeter to apeal to some consumers. So do some homework and choose carefully.
This opens with apricot, peach, and citrus (white grapefruit) in the nose, the palate tastes first of the grapefruit, and the apricot/peach flavor follows. To me there's a hint of honeydew melon on the finish as well.... after 30 minutes the wine develops more of the stone fruits in the nose, along with a slight apple pie/cinnamon spice note. The palate echoes the nose and finishes with pleasant fruit/spice flavors. The acidity is not too sharp, but has a nice palate cleansing effect.
I would decant this wine and put it in the fridge for 30 to 40 minutes before serving....
Pan fried scallops come to mind as a pairing, grilled scallops wrapped in bacon, grilled shrimp marinated in a Tequila lime & garlic marinade would be fantastic with this wine. Swordfish finished with fresh squeezed lemon.... you get the picture. We tried it with a classic Ceasar salad (very good) and with a 3 year old NY state extra sharp Cheddar (also very good)
Available in the powerbuy section of the NH Liquor outlets for $7.99 per bottle, there is also 15% case discount on 12 or more powerbuy wines thru the end of the month, which makes this just $6.80 per bottle. So a case of this would only cost $82, In addition, if you spend $150.00 you also get a $25 gift card... this is a great time to stock up on wines for the upcoming patio/deck season.
I'll review a Chilean Cabernet that's also in the powerbuy section for $9.99 in a couple of days.
Cheers!
Ed
I first tried a wine made from the Albariño grape about 15 years ago, I was reading an article in the Wine Enthusiast that highlighted wines from Spain, and the author described this grape as having a floral nose similar to a Riesling, with the flavor and crispness of a Sauvignon blanc.
I knew that I liked Riesling wines, whether off dry or sweet, and the Sauvignon blanc wines from New Zealand in a good vintage can be special. So I went looking for what I could find, and came home with 2 bottles. One was from Burgans, the other was from Martin Codax. One wine had a nice full mouthfeel, and was slightly off dry. The other was dryer, more crisp but still pleasant, and both had beautiful aromatics and flavors.
The Rias Baixas region is in the North west corner of Spain, on the Atlantic ocean. It seems to grow best here, and is a perfect match with the locally caught seafood. The grape has grown in popularity to the point that there is a risk of over production and losing the uniqueness that makes it special. Some producers have made it sweeter to apeal to some consumers. So do some homework and choose carefully.
This opens with apricot, peach, and citrus (white grapefruit) in the nose, the palate tastes first of the grapefruit, and the apricot/peach flavor follows. To me there's a hint of honeydew melon on the finish as well.... after 30 minutes the wine develops more of the stone fruits in the nose, along with a slight apple pie/cinnamon spice note. The palate echoes the nose and finishes with pleasant fruit/spice flavors. The acidity is not too sharp, but has a nice palate cleansing effect.
I would decant this wine and put it in the fridge for 30 to 40 minutes before serving....
Pan fried scallops come to mind as a pairing, grilled scallops wrapped in bacon, grilled shrimp marinated in a Tequila lime & garlic marinade would be fantastic with this wine. Swordfish finished with fresh squeezed lemon.... you get the picture. We tried it with a classic Ceasar salad (very good) and with a 3 year old NY state extra sharp Cheddar (also very good)
Available in the powerbuy section of the NH Liquor outlets for $7.99 per bottle, there is also 15% case discount on 12 or more powerbuy wines thru the end of the month, which makes this just $6.80 per bottle. So a case of this would only cost $82, In addition, if you spend $150.00 you also get a $25 gift card... this is a great time to stock up on wines for the upcoming patio/deck season.
I'll review a Chilean Cabernet that's also in the powerbuy section for $9.99 in a couple of days.
Cheers!
Ed
2015 Lagar De Bezana Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Alto Cachapoal Valley Chile
When the first wines from Chile and Argentina arrived on the shelves here in America they were good solid bottles at a great price. There are still good everyday bottles in the sub $10 range, and many wineries have now added a reserve bottling, and some offer a "Grande Reserve" or single vineyard bottling.
I can tell you from experience that not all of the "Reserve" or "Grande Reserve" bottles are worthy of that designation, I suspect the word is added to the label to make the consumer think he/she is purchasing a special bottle of wine. As always, do a little bit of research with a quick google search and see what you can find for reviews of that particular product. There are reputable wineries and some that are just pumping out wine to make a sale....
As demand for the wines from South America increased, wineries have branched out into more areas surrounding the original growing regions. They are figuring out which grapes to plant where, and which area will give them the characteristics in the grapes that the Winemaker is looking for.
The Cachapoal Valley is located between the Maipo Valley, and the Colchagua Valley. It is mostly sheltered from the cool breezes of the Pacific Ocean, the Carmenere grape is grown on the Pacific side of the valley as it likes the bit of cool air that comes in at night. Cabernet grows best on the west side of the valley at the foot of the Andes Mountains, the climate is more Mediterranean. Warm days and lots of sunshine combined with slight elevation make for smaller grapes with good flavor, balanced tannins, and acidity.
The Lagar opens with notes of mint/eucalyptus, cherry, mixed berries, and a bit of spice in the nose. The palate tastes like a mix of black and blue berries, I can taste the mint along with a plum note on the finish, the tannins are fine grained, and it has a slightly tart finish.
The second day offers a more integrated nose of all the initial scents, including a nice hint of mixed berry pie. The flavors have blended together on the palate, and it's smooth, there's a nice slightly thick feel to it, with the fruit notes fading pleasantly in the mouth.
This wine is 5 years old at this point, and could hold in your cellar for a couple of more years if you wanted to buy a case for drinking over this time. If you want to enjoy it now I recommend decanting it for an hour before serving. If you're going to pull the cork and serve it, try chilling it in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes, then pour it and see how it evolves in the glass...
I enjoyed this with homemade beef stew, I think it would pair well with grilled meats, meat lasagna, red sauce pizza, grilled Italian sausage with peppersand onions, herb crusted pork roast also comes to mind.
Available at the NH Liquor outlets for $9.99 per bottle in the powerbuy section, and there is a 15% case discount this month on powerbuy wines. That makes each bottle $8.50... Additionally, for every $150.00 you spend you also get a $25 gift card..... this is a good time to stock up on some wines for enjoying out on the deck or patio this summer.
Cheers!
Ed
When the first wines from Chile and Argentina arrived on the shelves here in America they were good solid bottles at a great price. There are still good everyday bottles in the sub $10 range, and many wineries have now added a reserve bottling, and some offer a "Grande Reserve" or single vineyard bottling.
I can tell you from experience that not all of the "Reserve" or "Grande Reserve" bottles are worthy of that designation, I suspect the word is added to the label to make the consumer think he/she is purchasing a special bottle of wine. As always, do a little bit of research with a quick google search and see what you can find for reviews of that particular product. There are reputable wineries and some that are just pumping out wine to make a sale....
As demand for the wines from South America increased, wineries have branched out into more areas surrounding the original growing regions. They are figuring out which grapes to plant where, and which area will give them the characteristics in the grapes that the Winemaker is looking for.
The Cachapoal Valley is located between the Maipo Valley, and the Colchagua Valley. It is mostly sheltered from the cool breezes of the Pacific Ocean, the Carmenere grape is grown on the Pacific side of the valley as it likes the bit of cool air that comes in at night. Cabernet grows best on the west side of the valley at the foot of the Andes Mountains, the climate is more Mediterranean. Warm days and lots of sunshine combined with slight elevation make for smaller grapes with good flavor, balanced tannins, and acidity.
The Lagar opens with notes of mint/eucalyptus, cherry, mixed berries, and a bit of spice in the nose. The palate tastes like a mix of black and blue berries, I can taste the mint along with a plum note on the finish, the tannins are fine grained, and it has a slightly tart finish.
The second day offers a more integrated nose of all the initial scents, including a nice hint of mixed berry pie. The flavors have blended together on the palate, and it's smooth, there's a nice slightly thick feel to it, with the fruit notes fading pleasantly in the mouth.
This wine is 5 years old at this point, and could hold in your cellar for a couple of more years if you wanted to buy a case for drinking over this time. If you want to enjoy it now I recommend decanting it for an hour before serving. If you're going to pull the cork and serve it, try chilling it in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes, then pour it and see how it evolves in the glass...
I enjoyed this with homemade beef stew, I think it would pair well with grilled meats, meat lasagna, red sauce pizza, grilled Italian sausage with peppersand onions, herb crusted pork roast also comes to mind.
Available at the NH Liquor outlets for $9.99 per bottle in the powerbuy section, and there is a 15% case discount this month on powerbuy wines. That makes each bottle $8.50... Additionally, for every $150.00 you spend you also get a $25 gift card..... this is a good time to stock up on some wines for enjoying out on the deck or patio this summer.
Cheers!
Ed
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