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Ode to Cab
Ode to Cab.
Or we can just call it a Love Letter to Cabernet Sauvignon.
As an oenophile, I always try to maintain my “grape neutrality”. I can never name my favorite type of wine, never mind favorite wine. If you will hard press me against the wall with this question, I might say that it is Rioja, but the reality is a lot more complex than that.
If you search through articles in this blog, you will find a full range of wine styles and grapes. There are many blogs out there that cover specific region(s) or specific types of wine – but when I started writing close to 15 years ago, I knew that I would not be able to do that. This blog is about wine appreciation – any wine. “Wine should give you pleasure” – and so this is what my writing is primarily after – sharing the joy, the pleasure of wine, no matter what is the pedigree. Wines made from little-known grapes – Bobal, Trepat, Kekfrankos, Romorantin by tiny producers can give you as much pleasure as first growth Bordeaux, cult California, or best super-Tuscans. The liquid in the glass matters, and the only opinion that matters is yours and only yours – you can not enjoy the critic’s 100 points in your mouth.
This is my approach – try any wine with an open mind, and always be ready to be pleasantly surprised – or even blown away for that matter. And yet there is something about Cabernet Sauvignon that makes my heart race, especially coming from the producer I know or have heard of. Listen, I’m doing my best to tell you the truth, even though the “thought spoken is a lie”. But the brain gets all excited when I’m opening a bottle of the familiar Cabernet Sauvignon because I already know how good it can be. Very different from the excitement of the possible taste of DRC, Petrus, or Quintarelly (I’m yet to taste either) – because with those I wouldn’t know what to expect. But I do know what to expect from the well-made Cabernet Sauvignon that is ready to drink.
Even with the wines I happily call the favorites, I can’t tell you what I’m expecting to taste. I can’t describe my expectations when tasting La Rioja Alta, Ken Wright Pinot Noir, or Loacker Corte Pavone Brunello di Montalcino. I expect that I will like those wines as I know the producers and had their wines many times before – but I can’t tell you my exact expectations of the aroma or the taste of the wine. With Cabernet Sauvignon, I have very precise expectations of the aroma and the taste for me to like the wine. If I do not find the cassis (black currant) on both nose and palate when the bottle says “Cabernet Sauvignon” on it, there is no way I will like the wine, no matter how good the wine is for anyone else. Eucalyptus, mint, and a good structure are also expected, but with this some variations are possible. But when the expectations are met… the Cabernet Sauvignon is nothing but a pure, hedonistic pleasure.
So yes, deep down, Cabernet Sauvignon might be the most favorite wine of all – I just hope I will remember it next time I’m asked about my favorite wine.
Now, truth be told, I had a good reason for all this rambling about the beauty of Cabernet Sauvignon. A few weeks ago, I had an opportunity to conduct an accidental side-by-side tasting of the California Cabernet Sauvignon and the results were simply amazing.
With this tasting, we are taking a little trip. We will start in Northern California, where Barra of Mendocino is located. I wrote about their wines before, and now I have a few of the latest releases and I thought that Cabernet Sauvignon would be quite appropriate for the tasting.
Barra Cabernet Sauvignon was the leanest of 3, but still had a perfectly recognizable Cabernet Sauvignon profile:
2021 Barra Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Mendocino (14.5% ABV, $28, 18 months 30% new French oak, balance in neutral barrels)
Garnet
Eucalyptus, cherries, a hint of cassis
Eucalyptus, dark berries, cherries, cassis, well integrated tannins, perfect balance, medium-long finish.
8
Moving 80 miles southeast, we now arrive at the Flora Springs winery, located in the heart of the Napa Valley. Again, one of my favorite wineries in California, I wrote about their wines on multiple occasions.
The wine I had an opportunity to taste was a special holiday release. Flora Springs is big on the holiday celebration, so this bottle features etched gnomes, perfectly appropriate for the holidays. But it is what’s inside that counts, and this wine was nothing short of spectacular.
2019 Flora Springs Red Wine Blend Napa Valley (14.5% ABV, $95, predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, 18 months in 70% French and 30% American oak barrels)
Dark garnet
Cassis, mint, black tea, cassis is playing in and out – you can smell this wine forever. Cassis is prevalent, wow.
Burst of cassis at first, then tannins come in, offering some bitter notes around the otherwise perfect Cabernet core. A very powerful, delicious wine that needs time to soften up. Either decant for a few hours, or lose it in the cellar for 10 years. The winery says you can enjoy it through 2036 – I’m sure you can easily add another 20 years on top of that.
8/8+
Going back about 8 miles northwest, we now arrive at the Smith-Madrone, the winery located in the Spring Mountain district of Napa Valley. Smith-Madrone is yet another one of my favorite wineries, and the one I feel a bit guilty about as a writer. I wrote about Smith-Madrone wines on many occasions in this blog – 5 years ago, Smith-Madrone were my wines of choice to celebrate Thanksgiving; in 2019, Smith-Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon was my wine of the year. And I’m still yearning to write a post fully designated to the winery…
Nevertheless, Smith-Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon to me is one of the most textbook-proper, pure Cabernet Sauvignon wines there is. Not everyone would share my opinion – my sister-in-law with whom I was tasting these 3 Cabs, was preferring Flora Springs Cab, just for the sheer, unashamed beauty. But to me, a more subtle but very confident representation of the Cabernet Sauvignon by Smith-Madrone was just a perfection:
2019 Smith-Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District Napa Valley (14.3% ABV, $65, 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 18 months in 55% new French oak)
Brilliant dark ruby
A perfection. A textbook Cabernet Sauvignon cassis, pure, perfectly precise cassis. You can think of a bell pepper – I’m not sure it is there, but it comes to mind.
The palate is amazing – cassis, eucalyptus, perfect minerality, a touch of the pencil shavings, salivating acidity. This is an impeccably balanced wine built for aging. In 10 years, it will be insanely good. In 20 – … well, I don’t want to even think about waiting that long…
9-, pure and superb.
If you like Cabernet Sauvignon, either one of these 3 wines will make you happy – each one perfectly representing their terroir and the vision of the winemaker, and yet unquestionably perfectly representing maybe the most noble grape of all.
So now you know what my secret passion, secret true wine love is. What’s yours?
Rioja Worth Seeking – El Coto de Rioja
I love Rioja wines.
This is not a secret for anyone who has been following this blog for some time.
But despite such a strong proclamation, this love is not unconditional. Rather, it is very selective.
I have more of an exclusive club in Rioja. This is a club with a very limited membership. Anyone can apply, but only a select few can become members. Those in the club enjoy unconditional love and forgiveness for their little mistakes. For the rest of them… well, good luck making the cut.
I guess I need to change my opening line.
I’m a Rioja snob.
I love Rioja, but this love is very selective.
There, this would be a better opener.
The founding members of my exclusive club are CVNE with all of their lines (Vina Real, Imperial, Contino, …), La Rioja Alta, and Lopez de Heredia. Bodegas Tobias, Bodegas Beronia, and Bodegas Lan also have full membership.
Okay, let’s put another spin on this snobbish endeavor.
Rioja is a large region in Spain. There are about 14,800 grape growers, and about 574 wine producers in Rioja. That means lots of different styles and lots of different quality levels – even though all bottles will say “Rioja” on them. Seeing a bottle of Rioja doesn’t make me excited – seeing the name of a familiar producer who I know makes quality Rioja wine does. Hence my exclusive Rioja “club” – simply the list of my favorite Rioja producers.
What might be more important is that this “club” is actively taking applications (the approval rate is very low though), and I feel that it is time to formally add one more member there – El Coto de Rioja. El Coto wines were mentioned a few times in the blog already, but now let’s make it official.
El Coto de Rioja was founded in 1970 located in the town of Oyón. Over the 50 years of its history, El Coto de Rioja became the largest winery in Rioja, farming 1804 acres of estate vineyards. El Coto de Rioja plantings include 8 individual vineyards located across all Rioja DOCa sub-zones, such as Rioja Alta, Rioja Baja and Rioja Alavesa. One of the vineyards, Finca Carbonera, located in Rioja Alta, is the highest altitude vineyard in Rioja DOCa. In addition to all of the traditional Rioja red grape varieties, a significant portion of plantings are dedicated to the white grape varieties including new ones for Rioja – Verdejo, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. El Coto de Rioja also built a winery directly in the vineyard, dedicated to the white wine production.
I had an opportunity to taste (samples) a range of wines from El Coto de Rioja – here are my notes:
2022 El Coto Coto de Imaz Blanco Rioja DOC (12% ABV, $11.99, 93% Viura, 4% Sauvignon Blanc, 3% Verdejo)
Pale green
An enticing nose with lemon, acidity and minerality, fresh and vibrant
Lemon, Whitestone fruit, crisp, clean, refreshing.
8, delicious.
2021 El Coto Coto de Imaz Rosado Rioja DOC (13.5% ABV, $11.99, 90% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha)
Intense salmon pink
Beautiful, inviting, fresh strawberries
Fresh strawberries and cranberries on the palate, pleasant tartness, fresh and round
8, excellent
2018 El Coto Coto De Imaz Blanco Reserva Rioja DOC (12.5% ABV, $24.99, 100% Chardonnay, 12 months in new French oak)
Beautiful light golden color
A touch of butter and vanilla
A hint of butter, vanilla, Granny Smith apples, crisp, elegant, good acidity.
8, I want to try it in 5 years, I expect it to develop beautifully
2019 El Coto Imaz Crianza Rioja DOCa (14.5% ABV, $16.99, 100% Tempranillo, minimum of 12 months in American oak, at least 6 months in the bottle)
Garnet
Dark fruit, sapidity, gunflint, intense
Bright, uplifting, medium body, dark berries, smoke, crisp acidity, very “new world” in style, good balance, tannins show on the finish – will age and evolve well
8-
2018 El Coto Imaz Reserva Rioja DOCa (14.5% ABV, $22.99, 100% Tempranillo, minimum of 18 months in American oak, at least 18 months in the bottle)
Dark garnet
Dark fruit, earthy, being of herbs, medium intensity
Brilliant, classic Rioja, succulent cherries, cedar box, sage, salivating acidity intermingling with well integrated tannins, perfect balance.
8, delicious.
2016 El Coto Imaz Gran Reserva Rioja DOCa (14.5% ABV, $34.99, 100% Tempranillo, minimum of 24 months in American oak, at least 36 months in the bottle)
Dark garnet
A touch of minerality, cigar box, hint of cherries
Black fruit, concentrated, firm structure, well-integrated tannins, good acidity, good balance.
8, very good but will benefit from time in the cellar
I have to honestly say that while the red El Coto wines were good, I loved both whites and Rosé even more. The El Coto Rioja Blanco is a perfect quaffer any time you want a glass of refreshing white wine. Blanco Reserva is in the category of its own, a delicious Chardonnay rendition for any occasion when you crave a thought-provoking white wine.
El Coto de Rioja wines are well worth seeking – they are both delicious and still reasonably priced for the quality they deliver. And they are also widely available, so off you go to the store. Cheers!
Brilliance of the Bubbles
Champagne, anyone?
Well, I’m not in the mood to celebrate anything going on in the world right now. But I still drink wine, and while Champagne = Celebration is deeply ingrained in our minds, here I’m just talking about Champagne as a type of wine, the same as white, red, and Rosé. And I need to further correct myself – I’m not even talking about Champagne, the sparkling wine produced only in the Champagne region of France. The subject of today’s post is generic “bubbles”, the sparkling wine produced elsewhere in the world.
Simplistic on the surface, “bubbles” is an interesting wine category. Nobody is born craving wine, wine is an acquired taste. Bubbles might be the next level of acquired taste compared to wine, especially if we can exclude social pressure from consideration. Classic Champagne typically boasts cut-through acidity and is expected to be devoid of any traces of fruit for the joy of purists. And god forbid any sweetness can be detected in the glass… Not the wine someone intuitively craves. But this is not the biggest issue with the “bubbles”. The bigger problem is that people are well-trained to recognize the word Champagne, and once they hear that word, whether they truly love the liquid in the glass or not becomes irrelevant – “ahh, it is Champagne!”.
As anecdotal evidence, my favorite example is Kevin Zraly’s Windows on the World wine classes. The last class in the series of 8 started with Champagne. 4 wines were poured blindly to the group of roughly 120 students. After tasting all 4 wines, we were asked to have a show of hands for our favorite Champagne. I don’t remember details about wines #1, #2, and #3, but there was a somewhat equal spread between these three wines. Wine #4, however, had barely any hands raised. As the wines were revealed, Kevin Zraly said “and this is why, people, you shouldn’t drink vintage Champagne” – wine #4 was Dom Perignon, creme de la cream of Champagne world. Have we known that we were drinking Dom Perignon, I guarantee that wine #4 would be adored by everyone.
Before you get any wrong ideas, let me assure you – this is not a Champagne-bashing post. I love good Champagne as much as any other hard-core Champagne aficionado is. 2002 Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill Champagne was my wine of the year in 2016. I have enjoyed immensely Krug, both vintage and non-vintage. Champagne Lanson, Duval-Leroy, Piper-Heidsieck, Bollinger, and on, and on, and on. But the point I’m trying to make here is that when looking for bubbles, you shouldn’t hang up on Champagne and only Champagne – sparkling wines are made everywhere today, and there are lots and lots of very worthy bubbles you can enjoy, as long as you are willing to accept that great sparkling wines don’t have to come only from Champagne.
For an example of the great bubbles from outside of Champagne, let’s take a trip to Argentina. On a world scale, Argentina arguably didn’t reach yet the status of a world-class sparkling wine producer. And for me as a wine lover, this is very good news – it means I can still enjoy sparkling wines from Argentina at reasonable prices. Just to give you an example, we can look at the sparkling wines of South Africa, known as Cap Classique. Back 3 years ago, Graham Beck Brut Rosé Methode Cap Classique, one of my favorite sparkling wines from South Africa, could be found at my local wine shop for $16.99. The price two weeks ago? $30.99. So before it happens to Argentinian bubbles, let me bring you into the know.
Please meet Domaine Bousquet. Well, this might not be the correct way to introduce Domaine Bousquet here – if you are reading this blog regularly (are you??) then you already met Domaine Bousquet on multiple occasions. If you look at the Domaine Bousquet website, you will see that they present themselves as the #1 organic, regenerative and sustainable winery in Argentina. When I think of Domaine Bousquet, especially after tasting their wines, my first thought usually is “how do they do it???”. As an example of “how do they do it”, Domaine Bousquet offers USDA-certified organic wines (!) called Virgen that taste great and cost only $13 as the suggested retail price. And my latest discovery in the “how do they do it” category is two of their classic method sparkling wines.
I wrote about Domaine Bousquet sparkling wines before. Those were excellent wines produced using the Charmat method (secondary fermentation in the tank), the same method that is used in the production of Prosecco. These two new wines I’m talking about are produced using the classic method, with the secondary fermentation in the bottle – the same way classic Champagne wines are produced, hence the name Classic Method, a.k.a. Méthode Champenoise, a.k.a. Méthode Traditionnelle.
From the very first whiff, both wines were just spectacular. NV Domaine Bousquet Brut Organic Méthode Traditionnelle Mendoza Argentina (12% ABV, $18 SRP, 75% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Noir, 6 months on the lees) had a perfect nose of freshly toasted bread, brioche and apples. The palate was followed with the same toasted bread notes, perfectly fine mousse, crispy profile with just apple notes, just a pure delight.
And NV Domaine Bousquet Brut Rosé Organic Méthode Traditionnelle Mendoza Argentina (12% ABV, $18 SRP, 75% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay, 6 months on the lees) was even better – the wine had an absolute precision that only the best Champagne and sparkling wines possess. Salmon pink in the glass, freshly baked, just out of the oven toasted bread on the nose – I couldn’t and didn’t want to put my glass down for a few minutes. After appropriately admiring the bouquet, the first sip perfectly matched the expectations – fine mousse, cut-through acidity, brioche, green apples, perfect structure, impeccable balance.
If I were to pair dinner with these two wines, I would have fresh oysters and seafood with the Brut, and then a steak with the Brut Rosé – you can keep the salad.
Here are two brilliant sparkling wines from Argentina – organic and delicious. In a blind tasting, these two wines can safely challenge any Champagne or sparkling wines – and I would definitely put my money on the Domaine Bousquet wines to win the popular vote.
Taking the price into account, and the holiday season upon us, these are definitely case-buy recommendations – these wines are perfect as a gift and perfect to enjoy at any moment, knowing that you didn’t have to break the bank to get the pleasure.
Have you had these wines? What are your favorite sparkling wines outside of Champagne? Cheers!
Chilean Carménère – World-Class and So Hard To Choose
Is 30 years a lot of time or not, what do you think? It depends. If we compare 30 years to the approximate age of Earth at around 4 billion years, it is much smaller than a spec of dust. For a human, that’s quite a bit of time, subject to a personal perception. How about grapes?
Almost 30 years ago, in 1994, it was discovered that the Chilean Merlot grape is not exactly a Merlot. Approximately one-third of the plantings considered to be Merlot happened to be of Merlot’s almost extinct relative – the grape called Carménère. In 1994, there were only 25 acres left in France of the grape which used to be one of the important elements in the Bordeaux blend, now ready to disappear. This discovery also helped to explain the distinct taste of Chilean “Merlot”, loaded with so-called Pyrazines, the compound which leads to the pronounced green bell pepper characteristics in the wine, both in smell and taste.
Chilean winemakers gladly took ownership of the grape which they now could rightfully call “their own”, and the plantings expanded from around 9,000 acres in 1994 to almost 34,000 acres in 2014, eventually steadying at about 25,500 acres in 2021. Along the way, Chilean winemakers worked hard with this grape to literally get rid of the green bell pepper profile, creating a rounder, more fruit-forward wine. Their mission was a total success – for example, looking through the notes of my previous tasting of 7 Carménère wines 3 years ago, not a single wine had any mention of the green bell peppers. Nevertheless, it is interesting that now the pendulum has started swinging the other way, and Chilean winemakers have started thinking about bringing the green bell pepper profile back.
Nothing is instantaneous in the world of wine. Thinking about green bell pepper doesn’t mean it can elegantly show in the wine at will. At least among the 6 Carménère wines I just tasted, only one of them had a distant hint of bell peppers – but the important part was that all 6 were outright delicious. While I managed to choose a favorite, it was like splitting the hair.
Just to give you a perspective on where these 6 wines came from here is the map:
You can see here the proximity to the coast as well as get an idea of the altitude and overall terroir. While there seems to be a good variety of the terroir, all the wines were showing in a similar way – yes, with stylistic differences, but you could tell that the wines are related.
Here are my notes:
2021 Viña San Esteban In Situ Carménère Reserva Valle de Aconcagua DO (13% ABV, $13, 95% Carménère, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in for 12 months in 50% French and 50% American 225-litre oak barrels, 3+ months in the bottle) – In Situ Family Vineyards was established in 1974 by José Vicente. In 1994, the vineyards were replanted, and the modern winery was built. This certified sustainable winery produces a range of high-altitude wines in Aconagua Valley.
Dark garnet
Beautiful restrained nose of dark fruit, blackberries
Blackberries and raspberries on the palate, crisp acidity, tart, crisp, refreshing, well integrated but present tannins
8
2021 Morandé Vitis Única Carménère Valle del Maipo DO (13.5% ABV, $20, aged for 16 months in 80% in French oak foudres and 20% in new 225 liters French oak barrels) – Viña Morandé was founded in 1996, and went on to become one of the leading wine producers in Chile. The winery is truly innovative and “off-the-beaten-pass”, producing wines from Mediterranean grapes such as Cinsault, Carignan, and Garnacha, and using concrete eggs and large oak foudres for the aging of the wines. The winery was the first in Chile to produce late-harvest wine and the first in Chile to be recognized as 100% sustainable.
Dark garnet
Dark fruit, cedar, a hint of bell peppers
Tart cherries, black currant, zippy acidity, acidity on the finish.
8-/8
2020 TerraNoble CA2 Carménère Costa Valle de Colchagua DO (14.5% ABV, $36, aged 16 months, 42% in new 300-liter barrels, the rest in untoasted foudres) – TerraNoble is one of my favorite Chilean producers. I wrote extensively about TerraNoble in the past, covering particularly the full line of their Carmenere wines.
Dark Garnet, almost black
A touch of barnyard, warm spices, inviting, black currant
Bright, firm structure, cassis, distant hint of bell pepper, good balance, good acidity
8/8+
2020 InVina Luma Chequén Carménère Gran Reserva Valle del Maipo DO (13.9% ABV, $17, 12 months in oak barrels) – InVina was founded in 2007 by the Huber family and went on to become one of the premier producers in Maipo Valley
Dark garnet
Beautiful, nutmeg, sweet oak, superb. Best of tasting so far
Sophisticated, great bouquet, cassis, dark fruit, a touch of dark chocolate, excellent balance.
8+, the favorite of the tasting
2020 Primus Carménère Apalta DO (14.5% ABV, $21, organic grapes, 12 months in French oak barrels, 18% new) – Primus wines are a part of the Viñedos Veramonte, another one of my favorite Chilean producers. I also wrote about Primus Carménère wine extensively in the past, so this was one of the familiar wines in the tasting.
Dark garnet, almost black
Cassis, cassis leaf, sage, inviting, delicious
Dark, brooding, concentrated, earthy, well-integrated but present tannins, full body, needs a steak.
8+, superb on the day 3.
2020 Montes Wings Carménère Apalta DO (14.5% ABV, $55, 85% Carménère, 15% Cabernet Franc, aged for 16 months in 80% new and 20% second-use French oak barrels) – Feng Shui, Gregorian monks chants helping wines age – we can talk about Montes Winery forever. Instead, I will offer you to read my interview with the Founder and Chief Winemaker of Montes Winery Aurelio Montes Sr – here are Part 1 and Part 2 of our conversation.
Dark garnet, almost black
Sage, a hint of cassis, earthy
Bright, elegant, dark fruit, fresh acidity, seeet oak, eucalyptus, layered, luscious.
8+, as good as Luma
Here you are, my friends. Six excellent Carménère wines, making it very difficult to select a favorite. I settled on Luna Carménère Gran Reserva, but honestly, every one of these six are world-class wines I would be happy to drink any day. Do you have your favorite Carménère wines?
Deceptive Simplicity: Masciarelli Linea Classica
Simple is an interesting word to use around food and wine – there is a lot of dependency on the context.
I love simple recipes – one of my favorite recipes for sauteed eggplant has only 5 ingredients in it, takes 30 minutes to make and the result is consistently delicious. Air-fried salmon bites take less than a minute to prep, consist of only salmon and seasoning, and again, are consistently delicious. Near East couscous takes 5 minutes to make – and it is a perfect side dish every time it is made. When it comes to food, “simple” usually is a good word.
Calling the wine simple requires clarifications, it requires real context. “Simple wine” often means inexpensive, and this is a good thing – as long as the wine tastes good, as long as wine gives you pleasure “simple/inexpensive” is a good word (nobody likes “inexpensive” but crappy). Simple can apply to the label and overall packaging. The wine can also taste simple, and here the truth is in the eye of the beholder – many people prefer simpler-tasting wines so they will not interfere with the food. But if someone is craving complex, thought-provoking, multi-layered wine, “simple” is the last descriptor that someone will be happy about. “Simple wine” has a meaning only in the context.
The interesting part of a “simple wine” designation is that once we call the wine simple based on price and appearance, we make assumptions about the taste. Once we say “simple wine”, we are intuned to take it all the way – assuming that this simply looking wine will be also simply tasting wine.
Can simple packaging and a reasonable price hide the wine of a much grander standing than it appears to be? In other words, can simplicity be deceiving? Of course. Let me present my case to you – a classic lineup (Linea Classica) of wines from Tenuta Agricola Masciarelli in Abruzzo Italy.
Masciarelli Vineyards. Source: Tenuta Agricola masciarelli
Gianni Masciarelli produced his first vintage of red, white, and Rosé in 1981 from the 5 acres vineyard owned by his grandfather and located near the family house in San Martino in the province of Chieti in Abruzzo. Abruzzo region, located east of Rome along the Adriatic coast is best known for its – here it comes again – simple white and red wines, produced, respectively, from Trebbiano and Montepulciano. From the very beginning, Gianno was convinced that Abruzzo was capable of producing world-class wines. He worked very hard not only in his own winery but pushing forward the whole region. Gianny was the first to introduce a French Guyot training system for the vines and French oak barrels for aging the Montepulciano and Trebbiano wines. By the way, while Trebbiano is a popular white grape that grows all over Italy, Trebbiano Abruzzese is a local ancient Trebbiano clone that is growing only in Abruzzo. Trebbiano Abruzzese has lower yields and produces wines that can age.
Today, Tenuta Agricola Masciarelli is run by Giovanni’s wife, Marina Cvetić, together with their eldest daughter, Miriam Lee Masciarelli. Tenuta Masciarelli is the only winery that owns vineyards in all four provinces in Abruzzo (Chieti, Pescara, Teramo, l’Aquila). The vineyards span 740 acres (300 hectares) and consist of 60 non-adjacent parcels. Masciarelli produces 7 different lines of wines, 4 out of which are exported to the USA. The winery produces about 2.2 million bottles of wine every year that gets exported to 55 countries.
Here are my notes for the Linea Classica wines I had an opportunity to try:
2022 Masciarelli Trebbiano di Abruzzo DOC (13% ABV, $15)
Light golden
Tropical fruit, peach, minerality, medium intensity, inviting
Crisp, fresh, lemon notes, tart minerality, medium long refreshing finish, cleansing acidity, very nice
8-/8
2022 Masciarelli Colline Teatine Rosato IGT (13% ABV, $14)
Beautiful salmon pink
Fresh strawberries on the nose
Strawberries, brilliant fresh strawberries, cranberries, perfect acidity, good mouthfeel presence, crisp and clean finish. Excellent.
8
2020 Masciarelli Montepulciano di Abruzzo DOC (13.5% ABV, $15)
Dark garnet
Earthy, restrained, hint of cherries
Dark tart cherries, succulent, a touch of tobacco, dark, earthy, minerality, good acidity, good balance, medium to full body.
8, excellent
All three wines are unoaked and … yes… simple. At least in their presentation and pricing. But here is the interesting part. You can’t treat them as “simple wines”. Despite being unoaked, all three wines improved on the next day. And the next day. And even the next day. Truth be told, after I just opened and tried the Montepulciano, I was simply upset – the wine was not drinkable. For sure for my palate – green and tart. It became better the next day. And it really blossomed on the third day. In total, I enjoyed this screwtop-capped wine over the 6 days – pouring a glass, twisting the cap back, and leaving it on until the next day on the counter. And the wine kept getting better and better. This is a testament to the quality of this simple wine. And this simple wine can definitely age and it will become better with age. All for under $15.
Simplicity can be deceiving. Don’t take my word for it – try Masciarelli Linea Classica for yourself and let’s compare the notes. Cheers!
American Pleasures #9: Balverne Wines
Wine should give you pleasure – there is no point in drinking wine if it does not. Lately, I have had a number of samples of American wines that were delicious standouts – one after another, making me even wonder if someone cursed my palate. I enjoyed all those wines so much that I decided to designate a new series to them – the American Pleasures.
And we are back to talk about more delicious American wines (after a long and unintended break).
I love how wine not only entices your senses but lets you play a sleuth, a researcher, a scientist, a philosopher – a different role on a different day, or all of them at once – take your pick.
I can give it to you right now [spoilers alert]: I got a sample of three California wines, one better than another, one of them possibly even WOTY 2023 (told ya, spoilers) – and ended up doing the whole research (thanks, Google) trying to connect layers one by one. From the roles I mentioned above, I played mostly a sleuth trying to understand how far history was taking me and how all the little pieces fit together. Ah, never mind, let’s just get to it.
Source: Notre Vue Estates
In the center of this excitement are the wines produced by the Notre Vue Estate (Notre Vue stands for Our View in French) and called Balverne. Notre Vue is a 710 acres estate located in the heart of Sonoma County next to Healdsburg and acquired by Bob and Renee Stein in 1992. The history of the land where the estate is situated goes all the way back to 1841 when it was the part of Rancho Sotoyome land grant of 1841. The grapes had been growing on the estate starting from 1869, and commercially starting from 1907 – I’m assuming after the estate was acquired by Antonio Perelli-Minetti.
Let’s take a quick stop here – have you heard of Antonio Perelli-Minetti? I have to shamefully admit that I never have. We all know who Rober Mondavi and Andrew Tschelisteff are, but Antonio Perelli-Minetti? When Antonio Perelli-Minetti died in August of 1976 at the age of 95, his obituary in S.F. Chronicle was titled “Dean of winemakers is dead at 95″. Dean of winemakers – and with all my passion for wine, all the reading and learning, I never came across his name? Well, it may be just me… But then there is almost nothing written about him, for sure online… Okay, moving along…
The winemaking at the estate started in 1972 under the name of Balverne Cellars – supposedly, Balverne is a hybrid Anglo-French term meaning “a place of trees”, which is very appropriate for the estate. In the 1980s, two recent UC Davis graduates, Doug Nalle and John Kongsgaard (I’m sure both names need no introduction), made the estate famous with Balvernet Cellars wines being served at the White House dinners and at some of the finest restaurants in Los Angeles and New York. After Steins acquired the estate in 1992 they were mostly selling the estate grapes to some of the best wineries in California. The winemaking was reintroduced at the estate in 2005 under the name of Windsor Oaks Vineyards, and in 2013, the Balverne name was brought back.
Whew, done with the history. Let’s talk about the present.
At the heart of the Notre Vue estate lays 350 acres of “Forever Wild” Nature Preserve, covered by a variety of oak trees and inhabited by red-tailed hawks (Red-Tailed Hawk is a symbol of Balverne, depicted on every label), wild turkeys, owls, bluebirds, coyotes, bobcats, grey foxes, hares, rabbits and lots more. This Forever Wild nature oasis is a critical element of sustainable viticulture practiced throughout 250 acres of surrounding vineyards. These Sonoma’s Certified Sustainable vineyards are split into multiple blocks growing 18 grape varieties, and they span two of Sonoma County’s prominent AVAs – Russian River Valley and Chalk Hill.
I had an opportunity to try 3 of Balverne’s recent releases – Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay. I would typically start tasting with the white wine – here, as I was tasting in the comfort of the house instead of the tasting room, I started with the red – Pinot Noir. The wine was excellent, tightly woven which is not always the case with California Pinot.
2021 Balverne Pinot Noir Russian River Valley AVA (14% ABV, $35, Pinot Noir clones 459 and 667 with a small percentage of 114 and 115, 9 months in 25% new French oak)
Dark garnet
Plums, violets, intense, inviting
Nicely restrained, dark cherries, tart, crisp, lean, well structured
8, excellent
Cabernet Sauvignon followed, being nothing short of excellent, and perfectly drinkable from the first pour.
2019 Balverne Cabernet Sauvignon Chalk Hill AVA (14.3% ABV, $48, 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 9% Malbec, 3% Cabernet Franc, 18 months in French oak)
Dark garnet
Eucalyptus, cassis
Everything weaves around the acidic core. Perfectly restrained, nice Bordeaux/old world style, harmonious, balanced, delicious.
8+, outstanding.
And then came Balverne Chardonnay.
I poured a glass without much thought. Sometimes, it is best to have no expectations – not low, not high, just none. This was the case, even after the first two very successful reds. White wine is difficult. With white wine, the winemaker has nowhere to hide. Even if it will be two out of three, this would be a successful encounter.
The very first whiff of the glass made me literally speechless. The following sip confirmed my excitement:
2021 Balverne Chardonnay Russian River Valley AVA (14.2% ABV, $35, clone 17, 5 months in 20% new French oak)
Light golden
Beautiful, varietally correct nose – vanilla, apple, lemon
The first sip blows your mind – vanilla, golden delicious apple, honey, lemon, minerality – impeccable balance and beauty only a Chardonnay is capable of expressing.
9, spectacular. This wine is just something. Something special.
As you might see in one of the pictures above, my sample set went beyond wine – The Notre Vue’s own California Extra Virgin Olive Oil was a part of the package. I decided to do [an unfair] comparison between Californian and Italian EVOO. Both olive oils were expectedly different, with the Italian one showing green, tight, and peppery, and the Californian one being much more fruity. The beauty – it is not a competition, depending on what dish you are using the olive oil for, each one would have its own advantages.
Now you have a complete experience report, including my uninvited research (but everyone is entitled to their own version of fun). What’s important is that I presented to you three excellent wines, both on their own and as a value. Once you taste this Chardonnay, believe me, you’ll understand…
And we are done here. But – I always have more American pleasures to share, so stay tuned…
Virgen Wines – No SO2 Organic and Delicious
No added SO2.
Organic.
Delicious.
Simple, right?
Organic seems to be the word of the town. Four years ago, in 2019, 6.2% of the vineyards in the world were certified organic. In absolute terms, it doesn’t sound impressive. However, we need to take into account a few factors. First, many vineyards practice organic farming but are not inclined to undergo an official certification process due to the high cost. Second, and probably more important, is that from 2005 till 2019 the organic vineyard plantings increased by 13% per year, compared with non-organic vineyard plantings’ growth rate of 0.4% per year, according to the article in Drinks Business. I have a feeling that the organic vineyard growth could even have accelerated over the last four years, but we will need to wait to see the official data.
But grapes from organic vineyards don’t automatically mean that the wine can be called organic too – this gets a bit tricky, as every country has different rules for what wine can be called “organic” – this is why you can see on many labels the statement “made with organic grapes” instead of simple “organic”.
SO2, an abbreviation for Sulfur Dioxide, is an essential element in winemaking. It is used literally at every stage of the winemaking process because of a few important properties. SO2 is an anti-microbial agent, regulating harmful yeast and bacteria growth in wine. It also has anti-oxidative properties, protecting the wine from oxidation. It is important though that the use of SO2 is not excessive for a variety of reasons – one of such is an allergic reaction it can cause.
So here is the culprit – if you want to import your wine to the USA, and you want to be able to simply state on the label “organic”, you are not allowed to add sulfites (it is okay to add sulfites to the organic wine in Europe and Canada). This doesn’t mean that the wine will have no sulfites – sulfites are a natural by-product of fermentation, and they are always present in wine – but they will be present in minuscule quantities in the organic wines. However, not adding sulfites is not for the faint at heart – considering how many things can go wrong in the winemaking process – this is why today you see the majority of wines labeled with “made from organic grapes”.
Domain Bousquet was founded in 1990 in the high-altitude desert in Tupungato Uco Valley in Mendoza, Argentina, on the pure vision, passion, and conviction of its founder, Jean Bousquet. Jean was told that he is making a mistake of his life when he purchased 1,000 acres of nothing but dry, empty, arid land. Today, Domain Bousquet sustainably and organically farms 667 acres of vineyards, produces 50 million liters of wine, 95% of which is exported to 50 countries around the world, and ranks among the top 20 Argentinian wineries in terms of export. Domaine Bousquet also just extended its leadership in organic winemaking by introducing the wines produced without adding any SO2 – and this is exactly what we are talking about today.
Three new wines were just added to Domaine Bousquet’s collection, under the name of Virgen – Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec. All three are certified USDA organic, unoaked, and have no added SO2. To ensure the proper handling that these wines require, Domaine Bousquet even decided to ship them wrapped in a blanket.
When I received an invitation to review these new wines, my instant inclination was a simple “nope, not doing that”. No USDA organic wines made me excited so far. But the next thought was … well, these are just the samples, it might be interesting – especially if I can compare them with the same wines made in the traditional way – and this is pretty much what I was able to do.
Winemaker Rodrigo Serrano. Source Domaine Bousquet
In my mind, producing wines without SO2 requires a leap of heart. So even before I got the wines, I decided to ask Domaine Bousquet’s winemaker, Rodrigo Serrano, a few questions about his inspiration and goals – here is our short conversation:
[TaV]: You had been farming organically since the beginning, so your wines have always been made from organic grapes. Getting USDA Organic certified is another test, as you now need to certify the entire winemaking process. Why did you decide to opt for this certification?
[RS/DB]: We did it because we had the opportunity to experience it in 2018. Little by little I moved away from the use of SO2, until I suggested trying a wine without using it. I felt like an innovator, without knowing the real magnitude of this.
[TaV]: Virgen wines do not have SO2 added, so special care must be taken during the transport of wines. How did you come up with the idea for a blanket? How does it help protect wines?
[RS/DB]: The theory says that the temperature is very harmful, so in a wine like this, in which there is no protection, extreme care is taken. Today with experience, we understand that both in Virgin and in the rest, the temperature is harmful, so we put the blanket in all shipments. It helps by generating an air chamber between the wall of the transport container and the wine box, obtaining less impact from the outside temperature on our bottles.
[TaV]: What is the expected shelf life of Virgen wines?
[RS/DB]: Initially I was not optimistic, today with more than 5 years of experience, we still have 2018 stock, and it remains correct.
[TaV]: Somewhat related question: Once virgin wines have arrived at someone’s home, how should they be stored? How long can they be stored before having to consume them?
[RS/DB]: It must be stored like the rest, away from light, with a temperature no higher than 20°C and no less than 5°C.
[TaV]: Can “SO2-free” wines age? Did you experiment with that?
[RS/DB]: It is a challenge that we have ahead of us, to work with sulfite-free wines for aging, we are working on it, but for the moment they are only projects.
[TaV]: I see that Domaine Bosquet is not only organic, it is also certified Organic Regenerative. How is Regenerative Organic different from just Organic? What did you have to do to obtain the Regenerative Organic certification? How long did it take you?
[RS/DB]: ROC is something incredible, and for this I recommend watching KISS the Ground. He will answer better than anyone. It took us a few years to certify it, but I don’t work extra, considering that our philosophy coincides 100%
[TaV]: Last question. Far beyond viticulture, Domaine Bosquet is also a certified B Corp. Why did you decide to become a B Corp? Why is this important for you?
[RS/DB]: As with ROC, the coincidence in our philosophy, measuring the social and environmental impact, led us to this certification in a natural way.
Obviously, the proof is in the pudding glass, so next I tasted the wines, and – spoiler alert – was blown away. Here are my notes in the exact order I tasted the wines:
2021 Domaine Bousquet Virgen Natural Cabernet Sauvignon Tupungato Uco Valley Mendoza Argentina (14% ABV, $13, no added SO2)
Dark garnet
Chocolate and tobacco on the nose, a hint of berries
Blackberries, a hint of cassis, black plums, minerally driven, rich and luscious, good structure, crisp acidity.
8, outstanding on its own, and a great surprise as the wine is unoaked.
2021 Domaine Bousquet Virgen Natural Malbec Tupungato Uco Valley Mendoza Argentina (14% ABV, $13, no added SO2)
Dark Garnet
A hint of barnyard upon opening. On the second day barnyard smell disappeared, leaving behind only dark fruit.
On the palate, the wine is just spectacular. Imagine taking a load of perfectly ripe, perfectly crunchy, perfectly fresh berries – blueberries, raspberries, and wild strawberries, and sending it into your mouth – now you know how this wine tastes. Perfect structure, perfect balance, perfect acidity.
8+/9-, kudos to the winemaker.
2022 Domaine Bousquet Virgen Natural Chardonnay Tupungato Uco Valley Mendoza Argentina (13.5% ABV, $13, no added SO2)
Light golden
Asian pear, herbs
The palate is matching the nose, Asian pear, a touch of honey, herbs.
7/7+ first day. The wine somewhat improved on the second day, but overall didn’t go anywhere near the reds
And here is my “Frame of reference”:
2021 Domaine Bousquet Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Tupungato Uco Valley Mendoza (14.5% ABV, $19.99)
Garnet
Dark berries, cherries
A touch of cassis, eucalyptus, clean, classic, perfectly balanced, good acidity.
8, very good
2021 Domaine Bousquet Malbec Reserve Tupungato Uco Valley Mendoza (14.5% ABV, $19.99)
Garnet
Dark fruit, espressoFresh berries, salivating acidity, medium body, playful, perfectly balanced.
8+, delicious.
Let’s discuss our tasting.
First, both of the no SO2 reds were outstanding. The unadulterated fresh berries are really something to experience when they are delivered in a fully balanced, perfectly structured way. No SO2 Cabernet Sauvignon was perfectly on par with the reserve Cabernet Sauvignon; I liked no SO2 Malbec even more than the reserve version, even though I wouldn’t complain about either. Second, I managed to get the answer to the question about the aging of the no SO2 wines. I left both no SO2 Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec on the countertop, closing back the screw cap, and the wines were perfectly delicious on the second and third days. In my book, that means that the wines have at least another 10 years of life easily. Not that I’m suggesting that you should age these wines, but it is good to know that you really don’t have to consume them the same day you got them from the store.
Here you are, my friends – organic, no SO2, and delicious. These wines are worth seeking out, whether you care about sulfites or not. And if you have friends who complain about headaches and sulfites – they might love you even more after they will taste these wines. If you had a chance to taste these wines already – let me know what you think!
The Land Whispers… You Just Need To Listen
I love wine dinners. Especially the wine dinners with the winemaker.
I dread wine dinners. Especially the wine dinners with the winemaker.
I know, I don’t make much sense at the moment. Wine dinners are wonderful, and I really do love them. The dreadful part comes from the experience of not being able to write about those wine dinners in a timely fashion. “Timely fashion”, huh – there are wine dinners I never wrote about in 5 years and such memories can hunt you down – they definitely do for me. I don’t know why this is happening on a regular basis – the elation often experienced during open and engaging conversations about wine becomes an ephemeral spirit, woefully resistful and easily escaping the slightest attempt to capture it in the form of words…
Let’s see if I will be able to break my unsettling tradition.
Last week I had a wonderful time and experience tasting the wines of Viñedos Veramonte and speaking with Gonzalo Bertelsen, General Manager and Head Winemaker in a small group of wine lovers, around the dinner table at the Monterey Brasserie in New York. The conversation topics were ranging from low-alcohol wines (is that really a trend? Are people really asking for it or is that just a gimmick?) to the production of organic and biodynamic wines to “why Germans don’t want to drink organic wines from Chile” (I will not tell you why but you are welcome to guess) and to many other far and between. But most importantly we got to enjoy Viñedos Veramonte wines with and without the food.
Viñedos Veramonte was one of the first wineries in the Casablanca region, founded in 1990 by Agustin Huneeus, a Chilean wine pioneer. From the very beginning, the winery embraced organic viticulture – and more recently, the winery spent more than 6 years making estate vineyards officially organic certified, obtaining ECOCERT® organic certification, one of the most respected in the world. The project involved the conversion of more than 1,200 acres of vineyards in Casablanca and Colchagua valleys to organic and biodynamic farming, with the aim to also become fully Demeter’s biodynamic certified – which requires making changes in the winery, not only in the vineyard – plus importers also have to be biodynamic certified.
Viñedos Veramonte produces 4 distinct lines of wines – Veramonte, Ritual, Primus, and Neyen – all from organic grapes, of course. We had an opportunity to taste wines from all 4 lines.
We started with the 2022 Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc Reserva Casablanca Valley ($13.99 SRP). This wine has one of the biggest productions, and it is very important for Veramonte. Preserving freshness is paramount, so special care is taken to prevent any oxidation of the grapes and juice, and the wine is bottled as soon as possible. The wine was herbaceous and crisp, delicious on its own but also nicely supporting our first course – Grande Plateau of seafood containing oysters, clams, tuna tartare, and lobster. The Sauvignon Blanc pairing with the oysters was the best – and the oysters were delicious, probably my favorite component of the Grand Plateau.
Next, we moved on to the 2019 Ritual Chardonnay Casablanca Valley ($20.99 SRP, fermented in oak barrels and concrete tanks). I wrote about Ritual wines many times, last time only a few months ago – the wines are consistently delicious. The wine was paired with a choice of appetizer – crispy artichokes or barbecued prawns. I selected crispy artichokes, forgetting that artichokes are notoriously difficult to be paired with wine. The dish was delicious on its own, and the wine was also good – on its own.
We also tried the 2020 Primus Carmenere Apalta DO ($20.99 SRP) with our appetizer course. The wine was excellent and had a nice profile of cassis supported by the bell peppers, showing off the pyrazines. Some of the winemakers are trying to prevent the pyrazines from showing up by changing growing conditions, harvesting regime and more – but I personally enjoy the pyrazines’ flavor very much, it adds to the authenticity of the wine. While Carmenere was still not a perfect match for the artichokes, it offered a bit better pairing than the Chardonnay.
Now we were ready for the main course, and the new wine arrived.
Last December I had an opportunity to try for the first time yet another Veramonte wine called Neyen. Neyen vineyards are located on a small parcel of land situated between the Andes Mountains and the Coastal Range. Neyen wines are literally always a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Carmenere, both coming from truly the old vines – Cabernet Sauvignon vines were planted in 1889, joined by Carmenere in 1936, which makes the vines respectively 134 and 87 years old.
In the local dialect, Neyen means “whisper”. The land whispers, you only need to listen to her – low intervention is what the Neyen winemakers practice. And this is the whisper you can taste.
The wine literally stopped me in my tracks. You know that stupid smile that you can’t control when something good is happening? This was my face upon the first whiff of the 2003 Neyen Espíritu de Apalta Apalta DO ($N/A) – the first vintage of Neyen wine ever produced. The time stopped – there was only the endless pleasure of aromatics that only mature wine can bring.
Time, wait. Don’t move. I’m still enjoying it. Please, just a few more moments.
Cassis and eucalyptus on the nose. Cassis and eucalyptus on the palate, silky smooth, perfectly integrated tannins, full body of the mature wine at its absolute peak, pleasure slowly descending layer after layer. This is the case where the words are clearly insufficient to describe the joy of the oenophile, but I hope I offered at least a glimpse.
For the main course, I selected Bluefin Tuna au Poivre with baby beets and citrus sauce – and to my delight, the 2003 Neyen offered a perfect pairing, elevating every bite of the food.
We also had the 2016 Neyen, Espíritu de Apalta Apalta DO ($N/A). Tasting 2016 after 2003 was somewhat of a mistake. 2016 is an excellent wine, but the beautiful core we were able to experience in 2003 was still covered by layers of baby fat, the wine showing a lot richer, almost jammy on the first sip, and in need of time to open up.
The culmination point of our evening, though, was … a bit unexpectedly, as we are talking about Chilean wines … the Malbec. 2019 Neyen Espíritu de Apalta Malbec Apalta DO ($149.99 SRP). 2016 was the first released vintage of this super low-intervention wine – harvested and destemmed by hand, fermented in small tanks, no machines, no electricity used in the production of this wine, aging only in 3rd and 4th use French oak barrels. This is the crown jewel of the Veramonte Neyen collection – even James Suckling agrees, rating this wine at 100 points. Only 200 cases of the wine were produced in 2019, with the US allocation standing at 40 cases.
The main word I would use to describe this wine would be “elegant”. The wine was showing beautiful eucalyptus notes, a lot leaner than most of the Argentinian Malbecs, begging comparison with old world Malbec, the Cahors. Elegant, layered, delicious.
And this, my friends, brings us to the end of the wonderful evening. The company was great, the food was excellent, the wines were amazing.
Mother Nature whispers, and good things happen when we listen. I wish I had a case of this 2003 Neyen Espiritu de Apalta – that would really make me happy. Well, we generally don’t get to have all the things we want – and I’m grateful for the opportunity to experience such wines at least once.
Veramonte wines offer a great selection for every budget and every palate – check them out when you will have a chance. Cheers!
New Releases From Bodegas Beronia
When it comes to Rioja, Bodegas Beronia is a relative newcomer, founded in 1973 by a group of friends who fell in love with La Rioja while visiting on a holiday – compared with many of the Rioja’s finest taking its roots from the 19th century.
I wrote about Beronia wines many times before, so instead of sending you to this link to read about the winery itself, here is simply an excerpt from that post:
The name Beronia is not random – here is the explanation: “name linked to the history of the land where the winery is found. In the 3rd Century BC, the area known as Rioja today was inhabited by a Celtic tribe called the ‘Berones’. They inhabited the towns of Tricio, Varea, and Leiva, marking the limits of the Berones region, today La Rioja.”
Originally, the wines were produced literally by friends for the friends, without much thought of commercial sales. In 1982, Bodegas Beronia became a part of González Byass family, and at that point, wines of Bodegas Beronia started to appear on the international markets.
Beronia style starts in the vineyard, practicing sustainable viticulture. Different vineyards are used for different types of wines – Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva. For example, Gran Reserva wines are typically produced from 80-90 years old vineyards. And talking about the style, wines are manipulated as little as possible.
Bodegas Beronia Rioja wines represent an intersection of tradition and modernity. While “traditional” and “modern” styles of Rioja can be a subject of great debate with a lot of wine consumed to prove the point, I would offer a very simplistic viewpoint. Tempranillo has a great affinity to the oak; the resulting Rioja wine is well influenced by the oak regimen. Traditionally, Rioja is matured in American oak casks. Modern-style Rioja often uses French oak. Here is your style distinction – American oak versus French. Bodegas Beronia goes a step further than many. They create their own barrels, using both American and French oak elements in one barrel. Thus the wine is not defined by blending of the separately aged components, but instead, it is aging in a mixed environment.
Now, here is something I never shared before. In June of 2018, I had an opportunity to attend a lunch with Bodegas Beronia winemaker, Matias Calleja. During that lunch, we were able to actually taste the differences between the same exact wine, 2015 Tempranillo, aged for 18 months in 3 different types of oak – French, American, and Beronia’s own, mixed.
When we tasted these three wines side by side, the wine aged in the American oak had the brightest fruit. The French oak-aged was more earthy and had a bigger presence on the palate. The wine aged in the mixed barrels provided the most complexity, and fell in the middle, with interesting spicy notes. Pepper, which is not a typical Tempranillo descriptor, was very pronounced on the mixed barrels. The mixed-barrel one was my favorite.
Now, we can talk about the latest release from Bodegas Beronia – pay attention to the notes on the oak regimen:
2022 Bodegas Beronia Rosé Rioja DOC (13.5% ABV, $12.99, 55% Garnacha, 45% Tempranillo)
Very light pink, almost a rose gold
Very restrained, a hint of underripe strawberries
Crisp, tart, very limited fruit, a distant hint of strawberries with a tartness of cranberries, medium finish
8-, Provençal style, clean, refreshing
2019 Bodegas Beronia Rioja Crianza DOC (13.5% ABV, $14.99, 95% Tempranillo, 4% Garnacha, 1% Mazuelo, 12 months in mixed American oak (staves) and French oak (ends) barrels, 3 months in the bottle)
Dark garnet
Cherries, cigar box, a hint of sweet tobacco
On the first day, the wine had a lot of baby fat, too round
Second day – much better, tart cherries with good acidity and earthy undertones.
8-, needs time. The wine is either genuinely too young, or this is a problem with the screwtop enclosure, not allowing the wine to properly breathe, therefore properly mature.
2018 Bodegas Beronia Rioja Reserva DOC (13.5% ABV, $24.99, 95% Tempranillo, 4% Graciano, 1% Mazuelo, 18 months in mixed American and French oak barrels, 18 months in the bottle)
Dark garnet
Earthy, dense, inviting
A hint of barnyard, tart cherries, vanilla, good acidity, good balance
8-/8, elegant and round. Asking for food
2015 Bodegas Beronia Rioja Gran Reserva (14.5% ABV, $29.99, 94% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano, 1% Mazuelo, 28 months in French oak barrels, 36 months in the bottle)
Dark Garnet
A touch of barnyard, dark and earthy, anis appeared on the 3rd day
Cigar box, sapidity, roasted meat, cherries and plums, clean acidity, firm structure, well-integrated tannins. On the third day, a touch of espresso on the finish.
8+, delicious. Will evolve. I would love to taste this wine in 10 years. And then in 20.
Just to summarize this tasting experience – the Rosé was excellent. I really didn’t love the screw top on Crianza – I believe it doesn’t let the wine properly mature in the bottle. And the Gran Reserva for $30 MSRP is the wine to get by the case and let it gracefully mature…
What were your latest Rioja discoveries?
Weekend in Turley, With a Dash Of Carlisle and Hardy
Many moons ago, my friend Henry and I discovered Turley wines. We were at a restaurant in Manhattan with our wives, either before or after the Broadway show, and on the wine list, Turley Zinfandel (either Juvenile or Old Vines) was one of the reasonably priced wines, so that was the wine we ordered. I don’t remember if I heard about Turley before (maybe), but tasting that wine was a pivotal moment – we fell in love with Turley wines.
Turley Wine Cellars was founded in Napa Valley by emergency room physician, Larry Turley in 1993, and went on to become one of the most prominent Zinfandel producers in the US. Turley produces about 50 different wines from about 50 different vineyards, most of them organically farmed, from all around California. Many of those vineyards date back to the late 1800s. While Turley might be best known for its Zinfandel and Petitte Sirah, they also produce a number of white wines, a number of other reds, and even Cabernet Sauvignon, first produced in 2010, and eloquently called The Label (Larry Turley’s famous saying was that Cabernet drinkers drink “the label”, hence the name – I had my own share of troubles with this wine).
Turley wines are hard to get in the store, and if you really would like to enjoy them at will, you need to be on the Turley mailing list. Turley was one of the very first mailing lists I managed to get on more than 10 years ago, and I had been a happy customer ever since. My friend Henry finally got his first allocation about two years back.
A place on the mailing list still doesn’t guarantee you access to each and every wine Turley makes, and their list operates on a “first come, first serve” basis – I missed quite a few wines that were included in my offering, but disappeared much sooner than I could make up my mind.
Last Saturday, Henry was coming over for dinner, so I had to make it a Turley evening.
Turley makes only two white wines – Sauvignon Blanc and a blend called White Coat. The wine we opened was the 2019 Turley Estate Sauvignon Blanc Turley Estate Napa Valley (13.4% ABV). It is interesting that Sauvignon Blanc was one of the original wines produced back in 1993. Sauvignon Blanc plantings at Turles Estate were replaced with Zinfandel, but then Sauvignon Blanc was planted again on a small section of the dry-farmed, certified organic vineyard. The wine was fermented using natural yeast and it was bottled after 6 months in 100% French, used oak barrels. The wine was an absolute delight, showing beautiful whitestone fruit, perfectly present, perfectly elegant, with fruit and acidity singing in complete balance.
I had a little bit left in the bottle after that evening, and on Sunday I was able to please the most discerning palate in our household – my mother-in-law. She came over for Mother’s Day on Sunday and wanted to drink the white wine. When it comes to wine, she is completely unpredictable, and I always try to pour her wine without showing the bottle – she has lots of preconceived notions about wines and the regions, so I’m always trying to make sure she will just try the wine first, and then I can tell her where it is from. To my delight, she liked the wine, and even when I told her the wine was from California, she still liked it – a serious achievement in this household.
Our next wine was 2021 Turley Zinfandel Rosé California (12% ABV). This wine sometimes is called White Zinfandel, but only to poke fun at the uninitiated (and the bottle is adorned with the white label). This wine is impossible to score – you literally have to press “buy” as soon as your summer offering arrives. The wine is fermented in stainless steel and aged in used French barriques. It is lip-smacking, it speaks cranberries and strawberries, it is very Provençal in its presentation, but Californian in its soul.
And then there was Tecolote – 2018 Turley Tecolote Paso Robles Red Wine (15.7% ABV). This wine is rarer than rare, as you need to know it exists, to begin with. I got it once through some special holiday offer, but it is never included into the standard seasonal offerings. This wine is typically only available in the tasting room, but being a mailing list member has some advantages – I asked if I can get a few bottles, and they arrived just in time for us to enjoy. This wine is a Spanish-inspired blend of 60% of Grenache and 40% Carignane, coming from the specific block in Pesenti Vineyard, planted in the 1920s. Tecolote means “owl” in Spanish, and this is how the vineyard block is also called. The wine offered layers of lip-smacking black cherries, kitchen spices and sweet tobacco. A perfect balance of textual presence, fruit and acidity made this wine disappear in no time…
Next, let me step away from the wine for a bit – but not from the grapes. I rarely talk about cognac on these pages, but then I have an experience to share.
On an average day, I’m a scotch drinker. But of course, I would never refuse a sip of a good cognac. The keyword is “good” – nowadays, it is difficult to find a good-tasting cognac at a reasonable price in the US. However, my recent cognac tasting with my school friend led me to the discovery of Cognac Expert. Subsequently, I got a recommendation from Cognac Expert for the cognac I now enjoy immensely – without any need to break the bank – Hardy Legend 1863 Cognac. This cognac was produced by the Cognac House of Hardy, to commemorate the founding of the Hardy house back in – yes, you guessed it – 1863. This cognac is a blend of spirits made from the grapes coming from Borderies and Petite Champagne growing areas, aged from 2 to 12 years and finished in classic Limousine oak. From the first enticing smell to the long-lasting, coffee-loaded finish, this cognac offers the ultimate pleasure of balance of fruit, spices, and acidity. And at $40, this might be the best QPR cognac out there today.
Last but not least – 2015 Carlisle Mourvedre Bedrock Vineyard Sonoma Valley (14.9% ABV), which I opened on Sunday. Carlisle is another one of my favorite producers, specializing in Zinfandel, Syrah, and Petite Sirah – and some other grapes. The fruit for this wine came from the 130+ years old vineyard, planted in 1888. The wine was aged in French oak, 20% new. It is interesting that stylistically, this wine was similar to Turley Tecolote – succulent tart cherries on the nose and the palate, a touch of eucalyptus, refreshing acidity, perfect balance. This was an excellent wine to finish the weekend right.
Here you are, my friends – my weekend wine story. If you can find any of the wines mentioned in this post you should definitely look for them. And if you like cognac, this Hardy 1863 Legend is hard to beat. And you know where to find it.
Nevermind. I should have never told you that.
Until the next time – cheers!
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