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Featured Wines — June 2008
Featured Wines of Wine & Words, Belhaven NC and Wine & Words ... & Gourmet, Washington NC
June 2008
Volume 7, Number 6
"The Blender's Art"
We Americans are largely responsible for the rage for "single varietals" in wine. People come into the store and ask for "a Cab" or "a Chard" or "a Pinot" (and I always have to ask "Noir or Grigio"). Those who are more wine-savvy may ask for one of the classic European blends like "Rhone" or "Bordeaux" or "Chianti." They know that the grapes in these blends and the proportions of each are set by long tradition and in many cases by law. It is the Australians, I think, who are mostly responsible for introducing proprietary blends that…well, just taste good. Blending grapes of different varieties and from different vineyards allows the winemaker to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative. That’s one reason the year of the vintage is not as important as it once was. Blended wines are not "made in the vineyard" but are, rather, a result of the blender’s art. This month we will feature some of our favorite blends. We hope they’ll become yours, as well.
Prices marked are the regular retail, followed by the Feature Price with a 20% discount.
This month’s Features are also by way of an inventory reduction sale. Not only are you getting the 20% reduction, but this is figured on the current price…which will inevitably increase when we reorder. Buy now and get a hedge on inflation.
Bodegas Nekeas Vega-Sindoa Viura/Chardonnay (Navarra, Spain) Regular $9.50/ Feature Price $7.60
We start with a simple (and inexpensive) blend from northern Spain. We’re all familiar with the ubiquitous Chardonnay grape, but what’s with this Viura? It’s a Spanish grape, (known as Macabeo in the northeast, where it is one of the three grapes in sparkling Cava) that is easy to grow and has a spicy, floral nose. It’s the prevalent grape in the white blends of Rioja, but here (with a bit of Viognier) itmakes what would be an average cheap Chardonnay into something with depth and character. An excellent blend for everyday summer quaffing.
Salmon Run Cold Brook White (Finger Lakes, New York) Regular $10.50/ Feature Price $8.40
The Cold Brook White from Dr. Konstantin Frank winery on Keuka Lake is what is called a "proprietary blend" – meaning they won’t tell you what’s in it. You can get some hints from the single varietal wines they produce: Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer. Then you just follow your nose and your taste buds. Whether or not you can work out the mystery of just which grapes are included in what proportions, you’ll have no trouble enjoying this American wine for its luscious fruitiness, its touch of sweetness, and its lip-smacking finish. Beautiful for summer!
D’Arenberg The Stump Jump White (McLaren Vale, Australia) Regular $13.25/ Feature Price $10.60
The D’Arenberg Winery, located on the Fleurieu Peninsula of the beautiful McLaren Vale region, is known for its award-winning premium wines with names like "The Laughing Magpie" and "The Feral Fox." The Stump Jump blends are named for a plow that saved a lot of sweat for the planters of new vineyards by jumping over the tough eucalyptus roots that lay in every pass. The blend changes from batch to batch, always some combination of Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Roussanne and Marsanne. Think of these grapes as musical notes and the blend as a harmonious chord wherein each note complements the others and leads to a sustained finish that brings a smile to your face. Ozzie blending at its best.
Bertani Due Uve (Veneto, Italy) Regular $18.50/ Feature Price $14.80
"Due Uve" (doo-ay oo-vay) means, simply "two grapes," in this case Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a masterful blend. Pinot Grigio grapes sometimes make a wine that’s bland and flabby, while Sauvignon Blanc can be too acidic and sharp. The blend uses the fruit of the Pinot Grigio to tame the Sauvignon Blanc’s tartness; and the bright, clean notes of the Sauvignon Blanc add a dry, refreshing finish. Great with food or as a summer quaffer.
Goats Do Roam Rosé (Paarl, South Africa) Regular $11.50/ Feature Price $9.20
The story of the name (besides it being a clever take-off of the French "Cotes du Rhone") is that the goats got loose from their pen and scattered through the vineyards choosing the ripest, tastiest grapes for this blend. It’s a good story, but it also expresses winemaker Charles Back’s philosophy that wine should be approachable, enjoyable and fun. This blend of Shiraz, Pinotage, Cinsault, Grenache, Gamay and Merlot is lively and complex, smelling of summer fruits and summer fields. If you’re someone who still hasn’t been able to "think pink," do yourself a favor. Chill this lovely down, pour it into a big acrylic glass…and let your mind roam with the goats.
Peirano "The Other" Red (Lodi, California) Regular $13.00/ Feature Price $10.40
People are usually drawn to the label – a sensuous line drawing of the back of a naked seated woman. The back label describes the wine as "tastefully seductive," a blend of This (60% Cabernet Sauvignon), That (30% Merlot), and The Other (10% Syrah). Inside the bottle is a delicious wine - ripe, rich and full-bodied. It’s sophisticated enough for the serious wine drinker and approachable enough that it has become a customer favorite. Be seduced!
D’Arenberg The Stump Jump Red (McLaren Vale, Australia) Regular $14.00/ Feature Price $11.20
The red Stump Jump is a delicious blend of Rhone grapes – Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvedre – grown on 90-year-old vines. It has a depth and complexity that earned an 88 Point rating from The Wine Advocate's Robert Parker who considers this blend one of the best red values around. We agree.
Marietta Old Vine Red Lot 46 (Sonoma-Napa-Mendocino, California) Regular $16.45/ Feature Price $13.16
The list of appellations tips you off that this is a blend of grapes from wherever they best suit the blender's taste. The Marietta Old Vine series always has a Lot number, signifying which blend you've got (I think we started with Lot 34, back in the day at Wine & Words). The blend is always mostly Zinfandel, but the boisterousness of that grape is toned down with deeper notes of Petite Sirah, Carignane, Cabernet Sauvignon and bits of various Italian varietals. This blending yields a wine with depth and smooth integration that can be thoughtfully sipped or served as a fine companion to a plate of barbecue.
Lammershoek "Roulette Rouge" 2003 (Paarl/Swartland, South Africa) Regular $33/ Feature Price $26.40
The Lammershoek Winery (named for the "lamb's corner" where the ewes protected their babies from the fierce "Lammerfanger" Black Eagle) has been making wine in South Africa's Cape region since 1750. They are a neighbor to Fairview, but whereas Charles Back's "Goats" series is playful and light, these folks are very serious in their winemaking. The "Roulette Rouge" blend is not a lighthearted riff on the great Rhone blends of France (such as Chateauneuf du Pape) but a serious attempt to replicate them. The blend is mostly Syrah (60%), with notes of Carignane, Grenache, Viognier and Mourvedre – classic Rhone. The winemaker's tone comes through in his description:
The wine has tobacco, spice and fruit on the nose and this blends well with woody tones on the palate. It has good structure and volume derived from the Shiraz, acidity typical of Carignan and the soft and complex tannins of Grenache. This typical Rhone style cuvee should be served around 16 °C (ED: 61̊ F – cool it for 20 minutes in the refrigerator), with all meat, poultry and pasta dishes.
Aged to perfection and ready to enjoy now, this is a truly elegant blend that shows blends are not just trivial Aussie affairs but can attain classic greatness.
Tobin James "Dreamweaver" (Paso Robles, California) Regular $16.50/ Feature Price $13.20
French Champagne is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The blend is determined by the guy with the big nose and the acute palate and results in the "house style" that tastes the same year after year. The James Gang, being West Coast upstarts, throw caution to the winds and blend Dreamweaver of Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Muscat. And they don't make it by the Methode Champenoise, in the bottle. Instead they dose the still wine with sugar and yeast in a pressurized stainless steel tank – the Charmat method (Italian Prosecco is also made this way). The result is a refreshing sparkler that's at home on the front porch or at a picnic and inexpensive enough to enjoy anytime you feel like it.
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