2019  Isle La Motte Vineyard  Marquette, Marquette Reserve, and Lucent white blend

We were up in Georgia Vt to visit our niece and her husband last weekend, and had a small window of free time so I decided to visit a friend of mine on Isle La Motte as it's not that far from their house. I had been by a 2 acre plot of vines many times on the way to his house before and kept saying " one of these days I need to stop and find out what's going on " well, my friend wasn't home and this time I noticed there was a flag out by the vines that said open along with
" wine tasting today"  that's all the invitation I needed...

Steven and Jamie Foley started this endeavor 6 years ago, and this year is the first time they've been open for tasting. It's a small tasting room indoors, and they have tables set up outside behind the winery on the lawn. It was a beautiful sunny day with a nice breeze when I stopped by, perfect for sampling wines in the shade of an umbrella.

Jamie started me off with the Marquette red wine Ruin, it has notes of cherries, blueberries and vanilla in the nose. The palate has matching flavors of the cherry and blueberries, it finishes slightly tart with the fruit notes fading pleasantly. The color is a vibrant red/purple that lingers in the glass, almost staining it.

I tried a number of foods with this at home, the best matches I had on hand were a double cream brie with a bit of ground pepper that brought out some additional flavors in the wine, green spanish and kalamata olives worked, I'm betting prosciutto and landjaegers would also pair well with it. A Sunday roast chicken dinner with gravy also comes to mind.

The Ruin Reserve was very nice, more plush in the mouth, smoother, and the influence of 6 months in French oak definitely made a difference. Similar flavors to the regular Ruin but with more elegance.... definitely worth the extra $3.00. I would try the reserve with herbed prime rib, a nice cut of beef or buffalo grilled medium and finished with a dollop of garlic herb butter. The linguine Bolognese from 3 Tomatoes in Lebanon would be very nice with this wine.

The Lucent white blend is quite tart on it's own, you definitely will need some food to go with it as it has medium high acidity. Great notes in the nose and palate of citrus and lemon, the first dish that came to mind is the Tortelloni Brunelle from Lui-Lui. This dish has a lemon cream sauce with chicken, tomatoes, capers, and black olives that would pair up well with the Lucent. I would also try this wine with chicken and broccoli in an Alfredo sauce over linguine.

If you're up in the Champlain Islands for a weekend getaway, I definitely recommend stopping by their winery to check out their wines. Steven and Jamie are good people and I had a great time talking with them about the world of wine. The tasting costs you $8 and you get to keep your glass... support a regional winery...

Cheers!

Ed

 2017  Aerena  Cabernet Sauvignon  Red Hills  Lake County  CA

I have had great luck in the last year or so with red wines from Lake County in California, they have offered surprisingly good value for the money. Currently they are not on most people's radar for wines from this Country, what you generally see in stores is from Napa or Sonoma, and wines from the Pacific northwest.

It was with anticipation that I put a bottle of this in my cart to take home, but when I first opened it last night I was not so sure I'd made a good choice. It was closed on the nose and palate, tart, out of sorts.... I tried part of another glass that I put through an aerator, and let sit for 20 minutes. Definitely better but still seemed off, so I put the cork back in it and put it on the counter for today.

This wine is made from grapes farmed at about 2400' in the Red Hills area of Lake County, grapes grown that high tend to be smaller with thicker skins, which means more tannins in the wine, which means you have to be patient and let the wines sleep for 8 to 12 years to soften the those tannins.

Today the nose has notes of black cherry, red plum, a hint of strawberry, and black raspberries. The palate has the same flavors but the plum and a hint of blueberries are more prominent. The finish is still a bit tart, but in a good way... the tannins are medium in intensity, but fine grained and fade gently on the finish.

This wine is still quite young, and has the structure to age for at least 5 more years based on the progress from yesterday to today. Right now I'd give it at least an hour in the decanter, and pair it with food that has some fat to it. A good steak with ample marbling, an oven roasted chicken dinner, slow cooked ribs with a good bbq sauce, a good pulled pork sandwich, the carnivore pizza from Ziggy's in West Lebanon.

Available at almost all of NH's Liquor outlets for $14.99 per bottle, $11 bucks off it's list price. For me it's an experiment, I think it will improve over the next 5 years so I'll lay 6 down in the cellar and pull one out in 2 years to see where it's at.

Let me know what you think....

Cheers!
Ed

 

2016 Circle 66 Cabernet Sauvignon  Horse Heaven Hills  WA

I have a soft spot for Washington State wines, in particular the reds. I've reviewed several of them over the years, and across the board they generally offer a great price to quality ratio. I would like to see more of them on restaurant wine lists, but if they were, then people would know about them, and availability would go down and prices would go up.... so let's keep the status quo...

I couldn't find any data online about who makes this wine, there's no website, or much data at all about it. So I'm guessing that this is a second label for a bigger winery, who has juice left over that maybe doesn't make the cut for the primary label but is still pretty tasty.

The wine opens with notes of bright red fruit, plum, and a hint of raspberry or black raspberry in the nose. The palate mirrors the nose with fine grained tannins, and just right acidity to balance the fruit flavors on the medium length finish which fade pleasantly.

Day two allowed the wine to open up more, there is also a hint of blackberries and spicy oak in the nose now, and it has a slightly thick mouthfeel. The fruit has blended together on the palate, it's like taking a bite of mixed berry pie... there's a hint of blueberry also.

This is quite pleasant to sip on by itself, but would pair well with grilled meats, lasagna, a Sunday roast chicken dinner, Thanksgiving dinner, and of course a classic 1.5" Porterhouse steak grilled medium with a dollop of garlic herb butter.

Available at most of the southern tier NH Liquor outlets, and in the West Lebanon Liquor outlet's powerbuy  section for $19.99 per bottle (regular price $40). It's not an everyday wine at that price, but definitely worth buying a few bottles to keep on hand for a special occasion. I know I'll be putting half a dozen in my cellar for future enjoyment.

Cheers!

Ed

 

2015  The Lost Chapters  White Meritage  California

This is another wine in the Powerbuy section whose label caught my eye, I figured if they cared enough to put a beautiful label like this on their bottle it must be good. It didn't hurt that I recognized one of the names on the back label, Mitch Cosentino. He had his own winery and produced many wines that had won numerous awards, hmm I said, and the bottle went into my cart.

The wine is produced by J. McClelland cellars, owned by the Scotto family, who were friends for years of Mr McClelland during which time he advised them on all aspects of making and marketing wine. When the opportunity to purchase the Steele Canyon Winery came in 2012, they jumped on it and asked Mitch Cosentino to consult with the winemaking.

This wine is a blend of 54% Sauvignon blanc, and 46% Semillon. The Sauvignon blanc was fermented in Stainless steel (preserves fruit flavors) and aged in used neutral oak barrels, the Semillon was also fermented in Stainless steel, and then aged in French oak barrels especially made for the grape. The lees (yeast sediment) were stirred weekly in the barrels which translates into a creamy mouthfeel in the wine.

This wine opens with the familar note of white grapefruit/citrus from the Sauvignon blanc, and a mix of stone fruit notes that remind me of peach, apricot, along with a hint of honeydew melon in the nose. The palate has all of the above flavors, just right acidity, with a slight spice flavor that I can't quite pinpoint. It finishes smoothly with the fruit flavors fading nicely, not completely dry but not sweet either.... it makes me want to take another sip to experience the flavors again.

This wine is fun to sip by itself, but I think it could accompany a cheese fondue, Caprese salad, Chicken Marbella, or a 3 cheese white pizza with cherry tomatoes and artichokes. This wine has enough backbone to stand up to a roast pork dinner, or a Veal dish also.

Only available at about a dozen of the NH Liquor outlets for $11.99 per bottle, if it sounds interesting to you I would get one soon. I bought 6 of them on Saturday at the West Lebanon Liquor store, they have about 45 left as of this writing.

Cheers!

Ed

 2018  Gabrielle Ashley  Cabernet Sauvignon   Alexander Valley CA 

This wine is a blend of 95 Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Cabernet Franc. I found it in the powerbuy section of the West Lebanon Liquor outlet, along with a number of other wines. What caught my eye was that it was from Alexander Valley, one of my favorite wine growing regions in the world.

Precision Wine Co has a number of labels under their umbrella, and seems to focus on small lots of bottlings. I get the feeling from reading the website that the winemaker has relationships with growers and other wineries that allow him to purchase grapes from selected plots.

It opens with notes of cherry, blueberries, plums, and oak in the nose. The palate tastes of plum, cherry, and black raspberries with medium tannins.... after 30 minutes of the bottle being open the tannins smooth out, with the nose and palate gaining more complexity to include blackberries along with notes of mixed berry pie.

At only 2 years of age this wine should be decanted for 45 minutes prior to enjoying, and try chilling it for 20 minutes or so to experience a different flavor profile. At this time the wine needs food with a bit of fat in it to balance the tannins, perhaps a nicely marbled steak, a meat lasagna, an oven roasted chicken dinner, prime rib, or a good brisket cooked perfectly.

Available at a bunch of the NH Liquor outlets for $12.99 per bottle, this is a great value for a well made wine from one of the premier wine growing regions in California. I liked it enough to buy 8 bottles with the thought that it will improve over the next 18 months or so....

Let me know what you think,

Cheers!

Ed

 

2017 SECOLI  Valpolicella Ripasso  DOC Veneto  Italy

While looking through the many wines currently in the Powerbuy section of the West Lebanon Liquor outlet, the label on this wine caught my eye.

I have learned to appreciate a good Ripasso while on this journey of learning about wine. Sometimes it's called the "poor man's Amarone"....

Valpolicella Ripasso is fermented twice, the first time from fresh grapes, the second time in contact with the leftover skins from the making of Amarone wine. The grapes for Amarone wine are first dried on beds of straw for 3 to 4 months at specific humidity levels. So by "passing" the Valpolicella juice with the Amarone skins it adds layers of flavor and structure to the wine.

When first opened, notes of red fruits jumped out at me, then a pleasant spicy/herbal note followed in the nose. It tastes of cherry, raspberry, with a spicy finish. The red fruit notes finish pleasantly as the fine grained tannins fade away.

The second day brought an additional note of plum in both the nose and palate, and a more plush feel in the mouth. Just a delight to sip on by itself, but a good food companion as well.

This is a very versatile wine, it would pair well with bbq, any red sauce dish, venison stew, I had it with thin sliced Charlito's dry cured Mild Chorizo (Co-op) and crumbled Parmesan cheese, and it could be sipped on by itself while sitting in a comfortable chair out on the patio during a warm summer evening.....

Available at

 Willamette Valley Vineyards  2018 Riesling  Oregon USA

Founded by Jim Bernau in 1983, the winery has grown to 500 acres plus of sustainably farmed vineyards in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. They have achieved the distinction of being named "one of America's Great Pinot Noir Producers" by Wine Enthusiast. Another unique distinction is that it's owned by more than 17,000 wine drinkers (Nasdaq: WVVI & WVVIP)

I have been a fan of their Whole Cluster Pinot Noir for years, it's a very good value bottle of wine that gives you a glimpse into how good Oregon Pinot can be. According to the website the winemaker uses the same technique for the Riesling, gently pressing the clusters then fermenting them in stainless steel to preserve the fruit flavors and freshness.

This opens with notes of Red Delicious apples, pears, tangerines, and a hint of peach in the nose, the palate tastes like you had a spoonful of fruit salad with a piece of each one of the fruits plus juice in it.... and a hint of grapefruit. It's lip smacking juiciness is addictive, tempting you to take another sip, semi-sweet at first in the mouth then finishes dry due to the good acidity balance.

This wine would be a nice match with an aged Gruyere cheese, one that has the salt crystals in it (Maxx Swiss) Or a Dutch aged cheese like the MELKBUS raw cows milk I found at the Centerra Co-op cheese counter, no bread or crackers, just the wine and cheese...

This wine will pair well with the Thanksgiving meal, spicy Asian, a charcuterie platter, grilled seafood, (garlic lime shrimp) or simply by itself at the end of the day out on the patio in a comfortable chair.....we're going to enjoy it with Düsseldorf chicken later today, which has a mustard cream sauce with scallions and Crimini mushrooms in it.

Available at most of the NH Liquor outlets on sale for $12.99 per bottle, if you like a good Riesling you should try a bottle of this, it's delicious. They also have the Whole Cluster Pinot on sale for $18.99 per bottle.....

As always, let me know what you think of these 2 wines if you decide to try them....

Cheers!  Be safe out there....

Ed

2018 Luna Vineyards Rosé  Napa CA

We enjoy a good Rosé during the warmer months of the year, and also offer one before, and during holiday meals for those who want something different to sip on.

This wine has a screw top, but don't be put off by that. The color has good eye appeal, and it has notes of strawberry, watermelon, and a hint of raspberries in the nose. The palate mirrors the nose, with a hint of honeydew melon as well. It's not overly dry, but not sweet either, and there's a hint of spice on the finish.

This was very enjoyable to sip on by itself, I also tried it with a salad that had kalamata olives, Feta, and dilly beans (nice) my wife tried it with her garlic grilled chicken and mixed vegetables, she said it was very good with those flavors as well.

I couldn't find any info on which grapes they used to make the wine, but the winery leans towards Italian varieties on their list of wines for sale. So I wonder if they used Sangiovese as part of the blend of grapes for color and flavor. They also were the first to plant Pinot Grigio alond the Silverado trail according to the website, so there may be some of that as well....

It's a very good value of a wine at the price, This would pair well with appetizers, or the main course as well. For me it would be fun to try a number of pairings to see what would work.

Available at the West Lebanon Liquor outlet, Claremont, and most of the southern tier of Outlet stores for $8.99 per bottle. If you like a Rosé wine you should try a bottle of this, if it's the first time for you, this would be a good way to introduce your palate to how tasty they can be....

Cheers!

Ed

 2015  4 Cellars  Red Blend  Columbia Valley   WA State

By now most of you who have read my blog know that I like wines from Washington State, so when I saw this red wine blend in the powerbuy section I took a bottle home with me to try.

It was good when I opened it, and even better on day 2. So I went back and bought a case of it to have a few bottles in my cellar for enjoying over this fall and winter with hearty stews and oven roasted chicken dinners.

This wine is made by Browne Family Cellars located in the Walla Walla area of WA State for the Country music group Little Big Town. The group is friends with the owner Andrew Browne, and through trying different wines realized that their passion for good wine was more serious than they thought. So in partnership with the Browne family started 4 Cellars wines.

The nose greets you with blackberries, black raspberries, purple plums, and a hint of Mulberries,  the berry smells get more intense as the wine breathes and opens up. The palate has all of the berry flavors, it's a bit tart initially but that goes away the longer it's open. There are some fine grained tannins, but any food with a bit of fat will balance that out.

On day 2 this wine was very smooth, with a nice plush mouthfeel and could be sipped by itself.
I think this wine would be a great complement to a Prime rib dinner, Beef Stroganoff, Beef Bourguignon, a good Venison stew, Lamb chops, or a grilled bacon cheeseburger....

It available in some of the NH Liquor outlets for $9.99 per bottle, 

 

2016  TAPIZ  Malbec  Organically farmed grapes  Uco Valley Argentina

I spotted this wine in the Powerbuy section of the West Lebanon Liquor outlet, when I saw the combination of Malbec, Uco Valley, and Argentina I decided to try it. The Uco Valley has several sites that arguably produce some of the best Malbec wines in the world.

The Tapiz winemaker, Fabian Valenzuela, was previously employed by Bodega Catena of Argentina, which led the way for bringing the wines of Argentina to the attention of the world. He learned how to make wine with Pepe Galante, who was the head Winemaker for many years at Catena.

 The consulting winemaker of Tapiz, was the winemaker for Chateau Petrus in Bordeaux France from 1964 until 2008. He was responsible for making one of the most revered, and expensive wines in the world. Jean Claude Berrouet brings a world of knowledge and expertise to the team so they can optimize the potential of the excellent sites under cultivation.

The back label of the bottle says the wine has flavors of cherries, raspberries, spice and violets. I can't describe the wine any better than that, the nose has the cherries, raspberries and spice when first opened. Day 2 brings deeper flavors and scents in the nose, I thought there was a hint of red plums in both nose and palate. The tannins are fine grained, and the wine still has some youth to it even at 4 years of age. I'm tempted to buy 6 bottles and open one every 6 months to see how it develops.

Right now I would enjoy this with grilled chicken basted with bbq sauce, slow cooked ribs with a dry rub. I think that this would also be good with a Thanksgiving dinner, there are so many varied flavors that make up that meal and enough fat to balance the tannins of this wine. Of course a well marbled steak grilled medium would be a classic pairing for this wine as well....

Available at the West Lebanon Liquor outlet for $9.49 per bottle in the powerbuy section, they have changed the website, and I can't see readily which stores carry certain wines anymore. So it appears that you will have to select a store near you to see if they have this one.

This is a well made wine in my opinion at a good price, let me know what you think of it.

Cheers!

Ed

 

Charles De Fère  Cuvée Jean-Louis  Brut Rosé  vin mousseux  NV

Whew, that's a lot of words to describe a sparkling wine, but it seems like the French have a fondness for elaboration at times....

We like a tasty Brut Rosé in certain situations, and sometimes just because. They usually are a bit softer, and have more flavor than a white grape based bubbly. The website doesn't say which grapes are used for this Non Vintage sparkling wine, but I would say Pinot Noir and/or Pinot Meunier for the color, and Chardonnay for balance.

This wine isn't produced in the Champagne appellation, and as such can't legally say "Champagne" on the label. But they can use "traditional method" or vin mousseux to indicate sparkling wine made outside of Champagne.

This wine is in the powerbuy section of the West Lebanon Liquor outlet store, and some of the other NH outlets. At a purchase price of $6.99 per bottle I figured "why not", and I'm glad I did.

This opens with notes of strawberry, watermelon, and other red fruit notes in the nose, the palate tastes of strawberries, raspberries, along with a hint of white grapefruit. The bubbles are surprisingly fine for a sparkling wine at this price, but then again it's made in France and they do know a thing or two about making wine.

Day 2 the red fruit flavors become a bit more complex, and the nose picks up an additional note of melon, and raspberry. There's a hint of sweetness on the tongue when first sipped, but it finishes dry without being tart. This wine drinks well above the price point, and would be nice to serve around the holidays, or perhaps on any weeknight when it's been a trying day and you need something nice to remind you that life is not all about work....

You could enjoy this wine before a meal, something to start the evening as an apero. Or serve it with steamed lobster and a side of drawn butter (my preference) I believe that it could also be enjoyed at the end of the meal with chocolate dipped strawberries, or a fruit salad that had a splash of Kirsch in it....

Go try a bottle of this bubbly, I think you'll find it a great deal.... and they'll think you spent a lot more on it....

Cheers!

Ed

2016  SETTESOLI  Nero D'Avola  Sicily, Italy. Since 1958

I was up at the Coop store Centerra today after work to pick up some fresh basil and Ciliegine mozzarella for Caprese salad on a stick. As I was on my way to the cooler where the olives and cheese are, I saw a center island with a number of Sicilian wines on it.

I recently read an article about the food and wine consumed in Sicily, and Greece that has been called the Mediterranean diet. It involves a much different approach than the American way to the work day, when meals are served, and what is eaten, and the wines served during those meals. Some of these areas have citizens who live a good, simple life and live a long life.

The Nero opens with an intriguing notes of cherry, grape, and tobacco leaf in the nose, the palate has matching flavors with a nice spicy component to it, and a juicy but not over the top fruity mouthfeel. It then finishes dry with a mild tannic dryness that is appealing, and a just right level of acidity.

This wine was very nice with the meal I prepared for myself tonight, it was warm enough today that I didn't want anything too heavy. So I made some stick Caprese salad, crumbled garlic and herb Feta, cherry tomatoes, 3 year old Cheddar, thin sliced landjaeger wurst, Red Hen Mad river Grain bread, and a few slices of good Prosciutto from Parma Italy.

I believe that the wine would also be quite good with wood oven fired thin crust pizza, red or white sauce.... you pick the toppings, this is a versatile wine. Grilled veggies marinated in good olive oil, fresh crushed garlic, and herbs comes to mind as another good pairing. Experiment with your own recipes and let all of us know what you liked...

Available at the Centerra Coop, and maybe the other 2 stores as well for $9.99 per bottle!
Are you kidding me?  You could make this your house wine for the summer season and not break the bank.... open the bottle and pour into a carafe for 30 to 45 minutes before serving, it got tastier the longer it was open...

I haven't seen it anywhere else, but I'll bet if you google it there's a few other retailers who carry it as well.

Prost, Cheers!

Ed

Newport Vineyards  Great White  White blend  non-vintage

When I saw that this wine was from Rhode Island, and read the tasting notes I decided to give it a try. It's a blend of Cayuga, Vidal Blanc, and Riesling. These same 3 grape varieties are grown out in the Finger Lakes with good results, so I anticipated that this wine would also be nice.

It opens with very vivid notes of ripe apricots, peach, melon, and a hint of grapefruit in the nose, the palate has the apricot, peach, with a spicy note. The wine has a slightly sweet impression when it first enters the mouth, the mouthfeel is not thin or thick, but just right. It finishes almost dry with the flavors fading pleasantly away, and I found myself wanting to have another sip...

The winemaker has done a great job finding the perfect balance between the sweetness and the acidity, this is such a delicious wine. You could enjoy it alone before the meal, or enjoy it with some spicy grilled shrimp, lobster, or at the end of the evening while sitting around the campfire.

You can order it from the winery for $16, and they ship to NH. Or, you can stop at a number of the NH Liquor outlets and buy it for $9.99 per bottle. There's also an American wine mixed bottle sale currently which takes additional 15% off, bringing the price down to $8.49 per bottle..... that's a great price for a wine you can enjoy this summer....

Cheers!

Ed

Mezzacorona  Rosé  Vigneti Delle Dolomiti  Italy

When the weather turns hot and humid like we have right now, we tend to sip on more white and rosé wines. We find them refreshing at the end of a long day, and they tend to be very food friendly as well.

I picked up this wine and another Rosé by Ménage a Trois at the West Lebanon Liquor outlet, the price was right on both and with the American wine case sale still going on I figured this was a good time to do some research so I can put together a case or two for the summer patio sipping season....

This Rosé opens with notes of ripe raspberries, strawberries, melon, and a hint of citrus in the nose. The palate tastes of strawberries, melon, the raspberry is there too, the citrus takes on a slight lemon flavor, there is a decent amount of acidity that cleanses the mouth nicely.

The grape used to make this vintage is a local grape variety called Teroldego, which grows well in the Dolomite Mountains of North East Italy. The winery uses other varieties depending on the vintage.

I tried this wine with the Quattro Stagione pizza from 3 Tomatoes in Lebanon, which has fire roasted peppers, mushrooms, artichokes, spinach, fresh garlic, and mozzarella with a base of their red sauce... it was a good pairing for the wine, the acidity was balanced out by the ingredients of the pie, and the flavors in both played well together.

What really surprised me was how well the wine paired with my dessert, which was a slice of strawberry rhubarb cake given to me by my wife's boss. Thank you Shirley!  It was a fantastic pairing, again the flavors in both danced with each other beautifully....

Available at the NH Liquor outlets for $8.99 per bottle, and I'm sure other online retailers. It's not an American wine, so it doesn't qualify for the 12 bottle 15% discount but I'm still going to get half a dozen to have this summer on those warm evenings.

I'll have a review shortly for the Ménage a Trois Rosé, my neighbor stopped by after work, we opened up the bottle, next thing we knew it was gone.... it was that tasty. So I'll  have to get another bottle to do a proper review. $9.99 per bottle and it is an American wine so it qualifies for the 12 or more case sale if you don't want to wait for the review....

Cheers!

Ed

2016  Zin-Phomaniac  Old vine Zinfandel  Lodi  CA  Mendocino Wine Co

I don't often buy a wine based on the label, I'm more likely to do some research online, google some reviews, and decide if I want to spend my hard earned money on it.... my wife on the other hand, has great luck finding delicious wines using the pretty label method. Go figure....

But when I saw that the fruit was sourced from Lodi, home to some of the finest old vine (50-70 years old) and ancient vine (80-100+ years old) vineyards in this country, I decided to try a bottle of it. It didn't hurt that the price was right either....

The wine opens with notes of bright cherry, plum, and another red fruit...almost a mix of spicy strawberry and red raspberry in the nose. The palate has matching flavors, with a hint of cinnamon, and the finish lingers nicely, with the flavors of the raspberry and strawberry fading pleasantly. It has a nice slightly thick mouthfeel, with just the right amount of acidity which helped it pair beautifully with the ribs I had for dinner.

So, suggestive label aside... this is a well made Zinfandel from some good grapes that will pair well with grilled chicken, pork, and a well marbled steak. I'm thinking grilled veggies that include some crimini mushrooms would also taste good with this wine. Or you could go with more simple fair, some Prosciutto, a good Parmesan cheese, and other dried smoked meats... after all, this is the same grape as Primitivo from Italy.... legend has it that Italian immigrants brought the vines with them to this country during the Gold Rush, and at other times as well.

You can order it from the winery for $18.00 per bottle, I'm sure there are other online retailers who offer it as well. It's available at the West Lebanon Liquor outlet store for $9.99 per bottle, and this month there's a 15% discount on 12 or more powerbuy wines as well. So you could get a delicious, well made Zin, for $8.50 per bottle that be great with your summer bbq's.

Cheers!

Ed

Falesco Vitiano Rosso 2015  IGT  Red blend  Umbria  Italy

After taking a week of vacation off from work to relax and regroup, I stopped by the West Lebanon Liquor outlet to have look in the Italian wine section for Rosé wines. I also spent a few minutes in the the powerbuy section and saw this wine there, and after reading the back label decided to try it based on the blend of grapes used to make it.

The winery was founded in 1979 by two brothers Riccardo and Renzo Cotarella, two of Italy's most respected winemakers. The vineyard was planted in 1992, and the first wines were released in 1995. They have a white, a Rosé, and the red blend Rosso. Their focus is on using local varieties and the popular internationally known vinifera grapes.

There are almost equal parts Merlot, Cabernet, and Sangiovese used to make this vintage, the wine was treated to a short period of oak barrel aging, and it tastes like there was careful selection of fruit at harvest time.

The wine opens initially with notes of blackberries, plums, black cherries in the nose. After 20 minutes or so there is a just right note of tobacco leaf as well. There is a nice blance of the fruits from the nose on the palate, almost a sweet first impression, with a slightly thick mouthfeel, juicy, then it finishes dry with perfect acidity.

This is a very well made wine that has great versatility with a multitude of foods. We drank it over two nights to guage if if would improve, and it did develop some added flavors on day 2.

We cooked a thin crust Margherita pizza on the grill on day 1, and the wine paired very well with it. On Day 2 we tried it with garlic, paprika, and Himalayan sea salt seasoned chicken from the grill, also a good pairing. A red sauce pizza with meat, the steak tips in a Gorgonzola sauce from Lui-Lui's also comes to mind. A classic Porterhouse steak with either Melted Gorgonzola or garlic herb butter, and the peppercorn Sirloin steak at Jesse's would bring out some elements of this wine also.

Available at the Lebanon, West Lebanon, and some other NH outlet stores for $7.99 per bottle in the powerbuy section, online retailers have it for between $12 and $15. On top of the great price at the NH outlets, this month there is also a 15% discount on 12 bottles or more of powerbuy  section wines.... that would make this wine $6.80 per bottle.... you won't find many other values like this one every day, the normal retail price was 15.99 per bottle. Still worth it at that price.

I hope you can try a bottle of this, I think most of you would enjoy it....

Cheers!

Ed

Geyser Peak  2013  Reserve Alexandre Meritage  Alexander Valley CA

I have liked and enjoyed both red and white wines from this winery for a number of years now, the reds in particular were a good example of what Alexander Valley is capable of.

The winery was sold to a large holding company a few years ago, and the basic white and red offerings reflect that.... the grapes for these bottlings are now sourced from both inside and outside Alexander Valley, in my opinion the quality of these wines are not what they used to be.
They are still good, but don't capture the essence of the region anymore.

However, the Reserve and single vineyard bottlings are still top notch. This particular bottle used to be a limited allocation to the NH Liquor outlets, each store would get one or two 6 bottle cases. I would wait patiently for the release date and hope that I could get my hands on a 6 bottle case, the price was around $28 per bottle. This wine is best between 4 and 8 years after the vintage date, depending on the growing season.

The 2013 Meritage opens with distinct notes of blackberries, black plums, cherries, and a hint of spice in the nose. You can taste the blackberries, black cherry, and plum, there's another fruit note that I can't quite place but it's intriguing.

The blend of grapes for this vintage is, 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Petite Verdot, 3% Merlot, 2% Malbec, and 1% Cabernet. This wine at 7 years of age still has the structure to last in the cellar for another 2 to 3 years, the tannins have calmed down but are still present and it has enough acidity to have a palate cleansing effect.

A quality steak with good marbling would be a great match with this wine in my opinion, really anything that has some fat content would balance the tannins and acidity. This is a great example of how good the Cabernets from Alexander Valley can be, and at the price it's being offered at is a steal.

Available at the West Lebanon Liquor outlet for $18.99 per bottle, normal retail price is between $40 and $50 depending on the retailer. There are bottles available in the southern tier of NH outlets also.... season your steak with Kosher salt and black pepper, and top it with a dollop of garlic herb butter..... let me know what you think.....

Cheers!

Ed

 Castello di Querceto  Tuscany Italy  since 1897

I have 2 wines from this producer to talk about, one is a basic Chianti, and the other is a Chianti Classico. Both wines are made from the Sangiovese grape, with the Classico including small amounts of Colorino and Canaiolo Nero.

The Sangiovese grapes for the basic Chianti can be sourced from a wide area in Tuscany, whereas the Chianti Classico has to come from the original area defined in 1716 by the Grand Duke Cosimo III de' Medici. The Classico wines are more highly regarded due to better quality fruit produced in this hilly region.

Basic Chianti must have a minimum of 70% Sangiovese grapes in it, and the rest can be native varieties or Cabernet or Merlot. Chianti Classico must have a minimum of 80% Sangiovese grapes, and the rest can be any of the grapes mentioned before.

The Chianti has classic notes of plum, and tobacco leaf/cigar box in the nose when first opened, there a bit of cherry that shows up after half an hour or so. Matching flavors on the palate, medium acidity, finishes dry, fine tannins and the flavors fade quickly.

The Chianti Classico opens with distinct cherry notes in the nose, along with plum and another red fruit...ripe strawberries comes to mind. After its been open 45 minutes or so there is a note of the tobacco leaf as well in the nose. You definitely taste the cherries, I noticed the plum after swallowing, the finish is longer with the cherry flavor fading pleasantly. It's got a medium mouthfeel, the Classico is a little more tannic when drunk by itself, but you don't notice it when enjoying it with food.

If you want a good basic Chianti to enjoy with a pizza or dried Italian charcuterie, then this is the one for you. It's available online at a number of online retailers for anywhere between $8.00 to $14.00.... it's only $8.99 at the NH Liquor outlets, but I'll leave the decision to go into a store up to you.... if you do go there please wear a mask and use hand sanitizer....

If you're looking for something a little more special then try the Classico, it was superb with the Margherita pizza from Lui-Lui, I think it would shine with any pizza that had meat on it, lasagna, a good quality hard Italian cheese, red sauce pasta and meatballs, etc... this wine is also available at a number of online retailers for between $9.99 and $14.99. The NH Liquor outlets have it for $10.99 but again, please take precautions if you decide to go into the stores...

Take care of yourselves,  Cheers!

Ed

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

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