This Syrah is a well-aged wine, well balanced, and earns its ninety-one to ninety-three rating. Bearing notes of red and blackberries on its nose with an afterthought of mocha. Being medium-bodied with layered acidity topped with a light oakiness it pleases the palate. A true Saturday night wine at only twenty dollars a bottle makes it even more enticing. This wine pairs nicely with beef, game, duck, lamb, and red sauce pasta.
One whiff of this ruby-red wine will have you thinking cranberry and pomegranate with oaky hints dancing between. Smooth with ripe plum and hints of spice at a lingering finish it is a mouthful of delight. You can pair this wine with beef, duck, lamb, and even spicy curries. Not only is this a great Sunday wine, but it is also a bargain at seven dollars a bottle. This Red Blend comes from the Catalonia region of Spain where it flourishes.
This Italian stallion comes from the foothills of Italy’s southeast coast. The ideal growing climate of hot days and cool nights let it develop its robust taste. With its clean fresh fruit abundance as it enters the mouth, it will wow you, brandishing its abundant fruit flavors. Though dry at mid-palate it gives you a nice savoriness ending in a grippy finish. At ninety-two points and about twelve dollars a bottle it is a steal.
This Italian wine comes from the heel of Italy’s boot, brandishing notes of ripe cherry, prune, cinnamon and leather. Soft and sweet, it is a perfect pairing for tomato pasta or oily fish.
I picked a dozen wines for you to choose from for what I call the plan. I start with Monday through Thursday for your go-to wines. Usually, they are in the 9-13 dollar price range so drink up. Then Friday wines are to celebrate finishing the work week with a wine up to twenty dollars, maybe experimenting with a new wine when you do. Then choose a glorious Saturday wine, after spending the day with the kids. Now is your time, just the two of you to savor enjoying each other over a good bottle of wine. Here you might step up to a 20-30 dollar wine to make it special. Finally Sunday, and a wine to be determined by your budget. All these wines are rated 87 or better.
Here is my list and those stared will be in this weeks wine reviews
Dancing Flame Sauvignon Blanc $10 2) Casillero Del Daible red Blend $12 3) Strap Hanger Cabernet Sauvignon $11 4) Murphy Goode Red Blend $13 5) Ravenwood Old Vine Zinfandel $11 Pull Cabernet Sauvignon $16 6) Matane 2011 Primitino from Puglia $12 7)+ Mezzacarana 2011 Chardonnay Vigneti Delle Dolomitil 8) + Estancia Merrot $11 9) Tahblik Peter Mistes Mosel Riesling 10) + Montepalciano d’ Abruzeo $10-14 11)+ La Pac Sonreinte $7 12) Cambria Tepusquet Vineyard Shrak 2014 $20
Let’s start with Champagne, because if you understand Champagne the rest is easy. What is the difference between Champagne and sparkling wine. First it can only be called Champagne if it comes from France’s Champagne region. It is trademarked by law of the (Appellation d’Origine Controles or AOC) and there are only three grapes that can be used in its production. There are: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonay. The first two are red and the last a white grape.
For vintage Champagne, only still wines made from fresh grapes of that year’s harvest may be used in the first step of Champagne production before they are blended into a cuvee. These blends differ, giving each vintner their signature flavor.
The process of adding bubbles to the wine is called methode champenois, or dosage. This starts the secondary fermentation, causing carbon dioxide (co2) gas to form. Next, the bottle is capped, and cellared for a minimum of a year and a half, and placed on 75-degree racks facing down. After daily racking ( the turning of the bottle 1/8 of a turn) will the dead yeast particles settle in the neck of the bottle to form a plug, Then the bottles are frozen with the plug becoming icy. The bottle is uncapped and the gas pushes it out leaving a clean wine. Then the bottles are topped off and corked.
There are three blends of Champagne found on most labels: Blanc de Noris, a blend using Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, Blanc de blancs where only Chardonnay is used and Rose, a blend of all three grapes in a process called sarginee.
The different classifications are: Extra Brut, brut, extra dry, Sec, Demi-sec, and Doux.
Spain’s Cava comes from a sub-region in Catalonia. It is made with the same process as Champagne, however, differs as regulated by the (DOC). The three main grapes are Macabeo, Parellada, and Xarelto. Rose (toast) version of Cava is blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha, or Monastrell grapes.
Italy’s Prosecco is made and grown in the Vento region with the best coming from a sub-region of (DOCG). Prosecco is made from a single grape called Glera. Here the process of adding the bubbles differs. Unlike Champagne and Cava, Prosecco is aged first in stainless steel vats during fermentation, then bottled. The process is called Charmet vs Metado Classico. All others are called sparling wines.
This is California’s answer to Europe’s Finest, while categorized as simply sparkling wine. It is every inch as good as Europe’s best. Soft and silky on the palate and medium body with an elegant balance of pear, apple, and citrus, crowned with a hazel nuttiness. It is a show stopper and will please even your most discriminating guest. With a rating in the mid-nineties, you can enjoy the finest without taking out a loan.
This French Champagne comes from one of the oldest houses in France. Its deep gold color signals it rich citrus and peach flavors topped with toasted hazelnut overtones. Its fine bubble plays among the expensively yeastiness, combined with flinty and nutty aromas. It is super smooth on the palate backed by a fine acidity and perfectly aged. Tart apricot tangles with blackberry and hazel nuttiness on the palate. Dry with beautiful ripe fruit, a medium finish, and lingering freshness, this sparkly is sure to please At Twenty three dollars and carrying a solid 92 point rating it is a consistent winner.
This is Spain’s version of sparkling wine, marked by its distinctive citrus flavor with notes of citrus and roasted hazelnuts, that ends with a smooth finish. This Cava comes in with a consistent 88-90 point rating and won’t dent your pocketbook at twelve dollars a bottle. Grown in the Penedes micro-region of Catalonia using the same process as Champagne.
This top selling bottle of bubbles is an Italian treat. Coming in at 90 points or better each year it is a consistent value at ten to twelve dollars a bottle. It is a dynamic and versatile glass of sparkling delight, with its slightly dry and crisp taste with its mouthwatering acidity, fine bubbles and notes of apple, peach, medium finish with stone fruits.
