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It’s springtime and everyone is opening up bottles of white, rosé and sparkling wines to celebrate the warm weather and Mother’s Day this weekend! I, on the other hand, opened a bottle of red wine to sate my curiosity and palate! In 2014, I opened one of two bottles of 1997 Estancia Meritage Alexander Valley that I had tucked away in my cellar. It was quite good considering how old it was so I decided to wait a year or two before opening the second bottle. However, I forgot all about the wine until I stumbled upon it today while looking for another wine. I never intended to wait this long before opening it and now I wasn’t sure what I would find after 22 years had passed since the grapes were harvested.  Alexander Valley appellation is at the northern end of Sonoma County and is home to many microclimates, but overall a Mediterranean climate dominates the region. Elevations range from 400 to 2500 feet and soils are rocky and diverse. Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are the most widely planted grapes here, but many other varieties such as Zinfandel, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc also grow in this appellation.  Estancia Meritage Alexander Valley 1997 is a Bordeaux-style blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc. The wine is aged in American oak for 20 months, of which 57% is new oak. I was not surprised that the cork decided to crumble when trying to remove it, so I decanted the wine through a strainer.  I was happy to see that the wine was a rich garnet color with encouraging fruit aromas as I decanted it. Luscious aromas of dark cherry, black plum, earth and hints of spice greeted me. My palate was treated to a surprising amount of fruit, spice, dried cranberry, fennel and pepper. The wine was silky with a soft but lengthy finish. Wow! This wine may be past its best, but it is still very drinkable and I am impressed! This was quite a treat! The back label has a quote from David Perata, Alexander Valley Vineyard Master. "This Bordeaux-style blend is a sophisticated and elegant expression of the highest quality fruit from the Alexander Valley." Yes, indeed! Alcohol: 13.5%  And now on to the rosés and sparkling wines to celebrate Mother’s Day!
Until next time… Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com Yes, it’s damp and chilly and time for some soup and Cabernet!  My last post took us to Argentina where I introduced some expressive Cabernet Sauvignons. So now we’re off to California where Cabernet Sauvignon is the most widely planted red grape variety in this state. Let’s zoom in on Sonoma County which stretches from the Pacific Coast to the Mayacamas Mountains in the east and is adjacent to Napa Valley.  There are seventeen appellations and approximately 60,000 acres of vineyards in Sonoma with over sixty grape varieties grown here. The climate and geography are diverse and can change from one appellation to the next. Rodney Strong Vineyards is located in Healdsburg, Sonoma County and is named after Rod Strong, an American dancer who over 55 years ago, decided to pursue his lifelong passion, winemaking. In 1989, the Klein family, fourth generation California farmers, purchased the winery. Today, the Klein family produces critically acclaimed Single Vineyard and Reserve wines including impressive Estate releases and best-in-class Sonoma County varietal wines. Rodney Strong practices sustainability in the vineyards and winery. In 2010 they were awarded certification by the California Sustainable Winegrower’s Alliance. They have fourteen estate vineyards in seven appellations throughout Sonoma, each vineyard with its own distinctive climate and geography, characteristics that are expressed in the finished wine.  Rodney Strong map Rodney Strong produces a wide range of styles and varietals. For their complete selection, please visit https://www.rodneystrong.com This story will only be covering the Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon.  Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon made the perfect pairing for my vegetable and bean soup. In the past, I’ve poured a range of varietals to serve with my soup. However, with this particular batch of soup, I added a secret ingredient to spice things up. And, the wine was a great match! Rodney Strong Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes were harvested from three Cabernet vineyards located in Jimtown, Geyserville and all the way north to Cloverdale. The wine was blended and aged for fifteen months in 75% American oak and 15% French oak barrels. The color of the wine is dark ruby with tantalizing aromas of dark cherry, spice, plum, dark berry and hints of floral. The palate is layered with rich dark fruit, dark plum, black cherry, spice and hints of sour cherry, pepper and light oak on a long finish. Tannins are mellow and the wine is beautifully balanced. It will pair well with cheese, stews and hearty entrees and of course, soup! Alcohol: 13.5% SRP: $20 (assuming you can still find this vintage)  It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is next week! What will you be drinking?
Until next time… Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com What does a Greek engineer from Santorini do when he can’t find an excellent Greek wine to drink while living in San Francisco? He finds a winery in Sonoma, imports Greek grapes and makes Greek wine! Georgós Zanganas is the founder and president of Georgós Wine. Zanganas imports grapes from Greece by boat carried in special bladders and brings them to Sonoma. The grapes are then blended and aged by consultant winemaker Robert Rex who uses Old World techniques to make the wine. Rex just received the 2018 Winemaker of the Year award bringing the total amount of awards he’s been given to an impressive 301 over the past forty-five years.  Georgós Zanganas and Robert Rex Photo credit: Georgós Wine The wines originate from the highest quality 100% NON-GMO and sustainably grown grapes that are handpicked and triple hand sorted. The wines are comprised of premium Sonoma and Greek fruit. All the wines are handcrafted with no added sugar and low sulfites. Enter Robert Davi, tough guy actor known for his roles in License To Kill and Die Hard. In addition to appearing in more than 130 films, Davi is also an accomplished screenwriter, director, producer and jazz vocalist!  Davi recently partnered with Georgós Wine after he purchased a bottle of Georgós’ Santorini Wine and fell in love with it claiming, “it’s one of the smoothest damn wines I’ve ever had”. After then tasting Georgós line of red wines and being dually impressed, Davi reached out to Georgós Zanganas. One thing led to another and now Robert Davi is a partner and brand ambassador for the wines. Georgós Wine produces five small batch wine varieties. I had the opportunity to sample two of the wines.  Photo credit: Georgós Wine Santorini Sophia’s Smile 2017 is made of 100% Assyrtiko grapes. It is the most well known white grape of Greece and comes from the Cyclades island of Santorini. Assyrtiko grows in the rich volcanic soil of the island and makes up about 70% of the vineyards there. Vines range in age from 60 to 250 years old. The color of this wine is gold and slightly cloudy due to minimal filtration. The nose offers citrus, minerality and hints of the sea. The palate is layered with pear, tart apple and lemon. It is bone-dry, crisp and filled with minerality, acidity and is quite earthy. The finish is creamy and smooth. Drink as an aperitif or serve it with seafood, fowl and even meat dishes. Alcohol: 12% SRP: $23  Corfu Siren’s Lure 2014 is a Bordeaux style blend made with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Merlot from Sonoma and Saint George (Agiorgitiko) from Nemea, a region in the Peloponnese area of Southern Greece. Agiorgitiko is the most widely planted grape in Greece. The color is deep plum with juicy aromas of dark berries, plum, floral, spice and hints of black cherry. The palate is a myriad of delightful flavors made up of dark and red berries, plum, blackberry, blueberry and spice. The finish is a long finale of clove, vanilla, pepper and hints of black cherry. This is a beautifully balanced wine with soft tannins and a silky texture. This wine will stand up to spicy stews, grilled meats, piquant cheese and dark chocolate desserts! Alcohol: 14.4% SRP: $31  To quote Georgós Wine,
“Winemaking is 60% cooking – Cooking is about taste - Taste has no rules.” Until next time… Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com  The rain and humidity finally disappeared last evening. So a few friends and I gathered for a sunset glass of wine and appetizers. Our host had a few bottles of perfectly chilled MacRostie Russian River Valley Chardonnay waiting for us. MacRostie Winery and Vineyards is located along the Sonoma Coast in the heart of the Russian River Valley in California. Founded in 1987 by Steve MacRostie, he and winemaker Heidi Bridenhagen are making extraordinary wines. In addition to Steve’s Wildcat Mountain Vineyard, he uses grapes farmed by some legendary winegrowers such as the Duttons, Sangiocomos and Martinellis. The winegrowing sites include more than 30 Chardonnay vineyards and over 15 Pinot Noir sites allowing for diversity and vibrancy in their wines.   The 2015 Russian River Valley Chardonnay is a blend of grapes from some of the finest vineyards, including Kent Ritchie Vineyard, Martinelli Vineyard, Mirabelle Vineyard and Charles Heintz Vineyard. The wine is very aromatic with notes of flowers, citrus, tart apple and honeydew that spill onto the palate with hints of oak and melon that linger on. This is a crisp and well-defined Chardonnay and an elegant addition to any table. SRP: $34 And now I’m off to embrace this beautiful day!
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com  After tasting and enjoying so many wonderful Bordeaux wines the other day, I was at a loss as to what wine to open for my dinner guest that evening. I still had Bordeaux on my palate, but I needn’t have worried. My guest came bearing a gift of a most welcome bottle of wine. We opened a 2005 Nickel & Nickel “Ponzo Vineyard” Russian River Valley Zinfandel. The partners of Far Niente founded Nickel & Nickel winery in 1997. Their mission was to produce 100% varietal, single vineyard wines.  Ponzo Vineyard Photo courtesy of Nickel & Nickel The Ponzo Vineyard is located adjacent to the Russian River. The first vines were planted around 1920 on flat, sandy loam soil that produces more dramatic concentrated fruit. The cork was soft and crumbly so we decanted the wine through a strainer. I was happy to note that the color was dark ruby with fruit and spice aromas. Considering the wine’s age, it had a lot of depth and character. Layers of rich fruit, spice and pepper were more present than I anticipated. The wine was silky with lingering moments of cherry and spice on the finish. It drank beautifully! The wine paired nicely with the cheese spread, but we drank it all before dinner was served! I’ll tell you about what we drank with our meal in my next post! http://www.nickelandnickel.com  Have a peaceful Sunday!
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com |
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