Legend has it that Eskimos have fifty words for “snow”. And in Tamil, India there are fifty plus words that mean love. Wow! That certainly gives one many options to express themselves! Depending on the country of origin, there are different names for the same varietal of grape. For instance, Syrah, Shiraz, Sirac, Marsanne Noir and Serène are all the same varietal. And then there is Garnacha, Grenache or Cannonau, all the same grape, but hailing from different parts of the world. Garnacha is the Spanish name for this varietal, which originated in the northern region of Spain, in an area called Aragon, bordering France. Eventually, the grape found its way to Southern France, in the region of Languedoc-Roussillon and the French called it Grenache. The grape also spread to the island of Sardinia, Italy and was given the name Cannonau. There are those that believe the grape originated in Sardinia and plantings were then taken to Spain by the Aragonese. Grenache is the most recognized name internationally and although it is grown worldwide, Spain, France, Australia and the United States have the most sizable plantings. Grenache is a red grape varietal that grows best under hot and dry conditions and ripens late in the growing season, producing Grenache-based wines with higher alcohol levels reaching up to 16%. The vines can be trellised or freestanding bush vines which are hardy and resistant to wind and drought. The skin of the berry is thin. Generally speaking, the characteristics of Grenache wines can be robust, flavorful, and juicy, exhibiting notes of red berries, strawberry, raspberry and white pepper. The wines are usually medium-bodied with mild to medium tannins. Of course, origin and terroir will help dictate how bold, fruity and complex the wine will be. The versatility of this grape is boundless and is widely used as a blending grape in such famous regions as Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Priorat, among other regions worldwide. It is used to make many rosés, fortified Port-style wines and is often blended with bold grapes such as Tempranillo. Garnacha/Grenache is also gaining momentum again as a single varietal, producing rich berry and spice flavors. Today’s focus is on Garnacha, a single varietal from Spain. Bodegas Breca, founded by Jorge Ordóñez in 2010, is located in the town of Munébrega. Ordóñez’s goal was to produce the finest Garnacha in Aragón by using the most ancient and genetically untouched clone of Garnacha in the world. The vineyards are located in D.O Calatayud, Spain’s highest region for the production of Garnacha. The vineyards were planted between 1900 and 1975 with the original clones of Garnacha in slate dominant and quartz soils. Bodegas Breca is 100% Garnacha de Aragón made from the oldest bush vine clones planted between 1900 and 1940. The color is cherry red with intoxicating aromas of ripe berries, cherry and sweet spice. The palate is layered with dark berries, plum, black cherry and pepper. This is a rich and succulent wine with smooth tannins and balanced acidity. Hints of oak, plum and pepper continue on the finish. This is most definitely a wine with unforgettable character! Alcohol: 16.5% SRP: $18 In the next few weeks I will be writing about Grenache blanc, a varietal related to the red grape Grenache.
So, whether it is Garnacha, Grenache or Cannonau, this is a worthy grape to know. Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com It’s another beautiful spring day, even though it’s only February. And it is a perfect evening to take advantage of this welcome “heat wave” and grill up some fish and veggies for dinner. To celebrate the arrival of warm weather yesterday, I opened my last bottle of The Withers Winery 2013 Rosé from the Sierra Foothills of CA. Once the epicenter for the California Gold Rush, this high elevation and cool climate area now produces a variety of refined and beautifully balanced wines. The Withers 2013 Rosé is a blend of 56% Mourverdre and 44% Grenache. The color is vivid salmon bordering on orange with aromas of strawberry, raspberry and floral. The palate offers gentle citrus notes with lush red berry flavors and hints of minerality. A touch of lemon zest lingers on the finish. As I’ve opened each bottle of this vintage over the last year or three, I’ve taken a moment to write a quick post to share my thoughts. This is an expressive rosé that has never disappointed and I’m looking forward to trying Wither’s other rosé vintages soon! Alcohol: 13.4% SRP: $25 Andrew Tow is the founder and owner of The Withers Winery. To learn more, please visit: http://thewitherswinery.com I hope you are enjoying some good weather, wherever you may be!
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com Being that February is a short month with only 28 days, time is definitely flying by! In just a few short weeks spring will be here and for some, the slow process of emerging from winter cocoons will begin with thoughts of shifting to outdoor grilling, drinking lighter wines and preparing herb and vegetable gardens. Although the weather has been warm and quite balmy the last few days, making spring seem more attainable, winter is far from over. I have been snapped out of my reverie today as I prepare for yet another snowstorm! And bam…back to reality! No matter what the weather, I recently tasted some delicious wines that will please the palate in any season. Wines of Sicily DOC recently sent me a few bottles of wine. And you know how much I love Sicilian wine! To quote Wines of Sicily, “The mission of Sicilia DOC is to unite passionate winemakers throughout the region and together raise awareness of Sicilian wines around the world.” To learn more, please visit http://winesofsicily.com Let’s start with the Feudo Principi di Butera 2016 Insolia. The Insolia grape is also referred to as Inzolia and Ansonica. It is Sicily’s fourth most widely planted grape and grown primarily in western Sicily. The 2016 Insolia is 100% Insolia. The grapes are harvested from the districts of Butera and Riesi. The color of the wine is soft yellow with seductive aromas of tropical fruit, citrus and a tease of floral. This is a lively and medium-bodied wine that offers a juicy palate of pear, stone fruit and citrus. Hints of lemon zest, herbs and almonds round out the finish. This is a great wine to serve as an aperitif or with cheese, fruit and light pastas. Alcohol: 13% Price range: $16 Feudo Principi di Butera’s 320-hectare estate is owned by the Zonin family. It is located in the province of Caltanissetta and extends into the ancient lands of Feudo Deliella. To quote Gianni Zonin, “I am proud that our Sicilian estate is a bastion of quality and the rural way of life, an oasis of the traditions which we want to defend”. http://www.feudobutera.it Nero d’Avola is one of the oldest indigenous grapes of Sicily. It is considered the most important Sicilian red and the most widely planted red variety on the island. The Villa Pozzi 2016 Nero d’Avola DOC is made with 100% Nero d’Avola grapes. The color is deep ruby with aromas of black raspberry, cherry, red plum and spice. This is a full-bodied wine with intense flavors of dark berries, sour cherry, fennel and hints of cocoa and sour cherry lingering on the finish. The wine is fruit forward with soft tannins and is beautifully balanced. Serve with meats, stews and lighter fare as well! Alcohol: 13% Price range: $10 Villa Pozzi vineyards are located in the hills surrounding Marsala, Salemi and Mazzara del Vallo in northwestern Sicily. Daniele Pozzi, owner and the family’s fourth generation winemaker says, “When you open a bottle of Villa Pozzi, our hope is to transport you to a cozy Italian villa nestled in a small Sicilian town far away from the busy everyday. It’s a leisurely escape from the world outside and a journey of taste that makes any day feel special.” https://www.villapozziwines.com As I continue to make my way around the vineyards of Sicily, the quality and passion that goes into winemaking is evident in every glass of wine I taste. I’m looking forward to more “tastes of the vine from Sicily”.
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com A few weeks ago I wrote about the wine estate, Domaine Bousquet, located high up in the Gualtallary Valley of Tupungato, Argentina. These are noteworthy wines which incorporate French and Argentine techniques in the wine production. If you haven’t read the story yet, please do so at: Day 622 http://thewineknitter.com/1/post/2018/01/day-622-bonjour-argentina.html This will give you the history of the estate, a brief description of the climate and terroir and essentially bring you up to speed for the following story. Last week I had the pleasure of sitting down with Anne Bousquet for a delightful lunch and tasting of her estate’s wines. Let me start by saying that Anne is warm, down to earth and very passionate about her wines. Her enthusiasm and sense of adventure transcended itself around the table and throughout the tasting. Although she comes from several generations of winemakers, Anne’s career path originally led her in another direction. While in 1997 her father Jean was busy buying land in Gualtallary Valley for the purpose of producing organic wines and at the same time divesting all of his vineyards in Southwest France, Anne and her husband Labid al Ameri were living in Boston, pursuing their own dreams, Anne as an economist and Labid in finance. Both these skills would prove invaluable when they became the owners of Domaine Bousquet in 2011. All of Domaine Bousquet wines are made from 100% organic fruit and alway have been since Jean planted the first vines in 2000. Gualtallary has up to 7 different types of soil, but Domaine Bousquet is the only estate with sand as its primary soil. In fact, Jean bought the land for this very reason. To quote Anne, “Sandy soil makes elegant wines and that characteristic was very important to him as a Frenchman.” So, as I said in my last story, “with the benefits of cool climate, sandy soil, controlled water irrigation and healthy organic grapes, it certainly sets the stage for quality wines.” All the grapes at Domaine Bousquet are harvested manually and special attention is paid to preserving the purity of the organic fruit. We tasted five wines from the estate. Sparkling Rosé Brut N/V using the Charmat method (produced in tank). Grapes are 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay. The color is salmon with inviting aromas of fresh red fruit, strawberry and peach that carry over to the palate. Fine bubbles, soft and foamy on the palate with a hint of citrus on the finish make this an easy wine to drink. Serve as an aperitif or with fish, light appetizers and simple pasta. Alcohol: 12% SRP: $13 Chardonnay 2017 is made with 100% Chardonnay and is un-oaked. This is an entry-level wine and part of the Premium Varietals series. The color is soft yellow with lovely aromas of citrus, fresh fruit and floral notes. The palate is softer in flavor than the nose has to offer, but the wine still delivers hints of tropical and stone fruit with good acidity. Perfect as an aperitif or with light fare. Alcohol: 13% SRP: $13 Gaia Red Blend 2015 is made with 50% Malbec, 45% Syrah and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. The color is dark purple with heady aromas of anise, violet and dark berries. The palate offers silky tannins with dark fruit, dark cherry, hints of spice and white pepper on a long finish. This is a wine that will complement just about any dish from appetizers to dessert! Alcohol: 14.5% SRP: $20 Reserve Malbec 2016 is made with 85% Malbec, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot and 5% Syrah. The grapes are harvested from the estate’s best plots with low yields. Wine is aged in French oak barrels for 10 months. The color borders on deep red and plum with bold aromas of dark berries, spice and black plums. The palate offers soft fruit with layers of blackberry, raspberry, dark cherry and hints of chocolate and pepper. Beautifully balanced with silky tannins and a long finish. The aging potential is 5 to 6 years. Serve with meat, stews, cheese and dessert! Alcohol: 14% SRP: $18 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 is made with 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Malbec. The grapes are harvested from the estate’s best plots with low yields. Wine is aged in French oak barrels for 10 months. The color is dark red bordering on purple with a mix of dark berry, spice and herbal aromas. The palate offers an abundance of juicy dark fruit, spice and hint of earth and cocoa on the finish. Full bodied with soft tannins. This wine will pair well with hearty entrees and aged cheese. Aging potential is 5 to 6 years. Alcohol: 14.4% SRP: $18 Anne and Labid are not only proponents of organic sustainability, but they have poured their hearts and souls into economic sustainability for the Tupungato community, helping to transform the economy. In addition to joining an alliance of local wineries to fund construction for a new road, Anne and Labid have also undertaken a project to train locals in wine growing and office work. Many of the locals were then hired and are now an integral part of Domaine Bousquet. Read more at www.domainebousquet.com
Anne and Labid and their 10-year-old daughter now live in Miami and travel to Tupungato for one week out of every month to walk the vineyards and spend time at the winery. Jean Bousquet is happily retired and content tending to his 99 acres in Gualtallary Valley and producing wine for himself! With two decades in business, a brand presence in over 50 countries and a quality to price ratio that is hard to beat, Anne summed it up in one sentence, “We just want to make high-quality wines that others can afford”. And they are doing just that! Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com The other day I had the opportunity to attend a seminar and walk around tasting of many impressive Brunello wines from the Consortium of The Brunello of Montalcino Wine. Although the emphasis was on the 2013 vintage, I also sampled wines dating from 2010 through 2015. The consortium was founded in 1967 and started with a membership of 20 producers. Today there are more than 200 members of which 31 estates were represented at this event. Montalcino is located in the Tuscany wine region of Italy. Montalcino is a small wine region with 3500 acres of vineyards and roughly 250 wineries producing Brunello di Montalcino. Brunello di Montalcino was awarded the first ever DOCG designation in 1980 and is considered one of Italy’s most famous and distinguished wines. DOCG stands for Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin and it is the highest designation given under Italian wine law. Brunello di Montalcino wine is made exclusively with 100% Sangiovese grapes (named ‘Brunello’ in Montalcino). The skin of the Sangiovese grape is thick and tends to deliver a wine that is fruit forward with bright acidity and high tannins. Of course climate, soil and production play a big part in the wine’s outcome. The village of Montalcino sits high up on a hill with the vineyards sloping downward into the valley. The climate in Montalcino is warm and dry, typical Mediterranean weather. Vineyards are planted up to 500 meters in elevation with north facing slopes experiencing a cooler microclimate and more winds, while the southern and western facing slopes are exposed to extreme sunlight and maritime breezes. The vines are planted in a variety of soils such as limestone, clay, schist, volcanic soil and galestro, all of which contribute to the difference in quality, complexity and character of the wine. DOCG Regulations require that Brunello di Montalcino age for 2 years in oak casks, 4 months in bottle (6 months for the Riserva) and bottling must take place in the production area. Brunello di Montalcino must be aged for a minimum of 5 years (6 years for Riserva) prior to release for sale. Most of the 2013 vintages I tasted were quite approachable and gentler than the more aggressive and bold Brunello I’ve had in the past. My palate was treated to a gamut of flavors such as dark berries, cherry, aromatic wood, anise, leather and spice. “Lush fruit, round tannins, quite aromatic, good structure and high acidity” seemed to be the theme for most of the 2013s with variations according to soil and plot locations. Brunello wines are impressive and I look forward to trying the 2013 vintage again in about five years!
Montalcino wines also include Rosso di Montalcino DOC, Moscadello di Montalcino DOC and Sant’Antimo DOC. I will be exploring these wines in another post. If you like collecting wines, do yourself a favor and pick a bottle or two of Brunello and tuck them away to enjoy at a future date. The aging potential of these wines is 8 to 25 years. Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com |
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