This Albarino is a limited edition so hurry. Raised in the ancient Lakes area of the Columbia valley and aged to perfection with bright fruit flavors of peach, apple early on the palate. It adds pineapple and tropical fruit mid-palate with a spritz at the finish. With its well balanced acidity and robust taste it satisfies with a lingering finish. Grab it while it lasts at twenty-four dollars a bottle.

Hailing from the Napa Valley, this Cab lives up to expectations at 24 dollars a bottle. Its strong 90 point rating is based on its structure and complexity. Enchanting the senses with tastes of juicy raspberry and plum with hints of cedar and vanilla to its rounded tannins that shine through brilliantly. At twenty-four dollars a bottle it is a sure winner.

A great year for this grape that yields a bold and complex wine. With notes of black currant, raspberry, plum, and licorice it dazzles the palate with the taste of full fruit, herbs, and a slight bell pepper sweetness. With a rating of 90 points and a price tag of twenty-one dollars, it belongs in every wine drinker’s collection.

To start, Cab Franc is the father of Cabernet Sauvignon while Sauvignon Blanc is its mother. Its birth came 400 hundred years ago when the two were accidentally crossed. While sharing many characteristics, there are distinct differences. Today in popularity the child has replaced the father, but wine nerds will tell you as I do, Cab Franc is the better choice. Cab Franc is often used to bolster blends or goes unnamed on a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon for the same reason. Now let’s compare the two.

Cab Franc) (Cabernet Sauvignon

color Lighter red Darker red

Tannin Lower tannin Higher Tannin

Acidity Lower acidity Higher Acidity

Age worthy Under 3 yrs Long term

Aromas, tastes perfumy herbaceous Perfumy,

notes of raspberry, cherry, plum, cassis herbaceous notes of

tobacco, bell pepper blackberry,

black cherry, oak,

cassis, vanilla, tar,

smoke

Skin Thinner Thicker

Geography Cooler climates Warner climates

More sensitive to the weather a stressed Cab Franc lacks the complexity and structure of a Cabernet Sauvignon, but in a good year they are real jewels.

This Sangiovese comes from the Maremma region along the Ombroe River. This is true hermitage territory and it sings of its terroir. Bold and untamed in its nature it is yet sophisticated with flavor and style. Deep ruby red in color, layered and intense fruit flavors flourish on your palate while hints of morello cherry and wild berry delight your senses. At 93 points and 14-15 dollars a bottle it is a rare find.

This Ruby red stunner boasts a 92 point rating with only a price tag varying from 15-19 dollars. With tasting, notes of vanilla and aromatic tobacco is a chewy mouthful. Its velvety texture lends to the smooth finish of this wine. Hints of rose petals and berries dance in your mouth, while its finish lingers with ripe plum.

The extension of warm weather makes this wine an early entry. It is vibrant, intriguing, and provocative on the palate. Being musky like cured meat, accompanied by black olives and black currants at mid-palate, finishing smooth with a hint of spice delights your senses. Its urban structure adds to the superb mouthful of fruit while its intensity dazzles you. At a strong 93 point rating, it isn’t reflected in its price at twenty-two dollars a bottle.

This wine is rated from 92 to 94 points while carrying a modest price tag of 21-22 dollars a bottle. Rich notes of crushed strawberry and red cherry with hints of cedar highlight this wine. Its big and bold flavors are intergraded by a mellow oakiness. Flourishing in abundant tannins and structure from its terroir it is laced with berry, nutmeg, and ginger. It is a delight on the palate with its lingering finish smooth and intense.

I will start with SANGIOVESE. This is a is bold wine originating from southern Italy, but now the best Sangiovese wines are from central Italy. Both as Chianti and as I prefer it, as a varietal. Its name translates to the blood of love and it has this wine drinker’s heart.

The SANGIOVESE grape ripens late and grows best in marl or limestone soils. Midway through October, it yields a tannic wine high in acidity, but proper aging mellows this grape. Its color mirrors its etymology. Properly aged 3-5 years it becomes a complex savory wine with notes of black cherry, strawberry, plum, currant, minerally with a smooth lingering finish with hints of coco.

For wine drinker who enjoy this jewel they may also like Nebbiolo, Tempranillo and Syrah.

Secondly, I am covering the Syrah grape and wine. This is a grape that rules the Rhone Valley. There is more of this grape grown in France than any other country. Starting in the 1960’s it has grown to the sixth most planted grape in the world, even though it is a variety that is five hundred years old. On the vine, it produces small berries or grapes in small bunches. Dark skinned and egg-like in shape, making it easily identifiable on the vine.

This grape needs deep soft soil while doing best on the rocky hillside of the Rhone Valley. It is the backbone of many blends giving them character and texture. As a stand-alone wine, it is revered for the quality of wine it produces and some of the most sought after in the world. It stems from two ancient wines, Dureza, a dark skin wine, and Mondure Blanc, a white skin grape. It yields a wine with rich notes of crushed fruit with hints of cedar and cherry.

This is a big bold Merlot, yet is smooth on the palate while being dry. Its boldness is balanced nicely by its acidity with its oaky and vanilla notes. Its predominance of plum and blackberry smoothes the acidity out with a final hint of cherry. Estancia winery is located in the Paso Robles region of California and its terroir put its signature stamp on this wine. At eleven dollars a bottle it is a steal.