Very Old Vines Carignan Vin de Pays de L'Aude 2006

That long description tells us a little - it's a predominantly carignan blend, a local wine (vin de pays) from the L'Aude. What's that? A department in south-central France named after the Aude River that is between the Mediterranean and the Pyrenees. It's the home of Carcassonne. Other wine you might have heard of is the AOC Corbières.

OK, so it's a decent inexpensive French red. Not too oaky or boozy (12.5%)

Wild Horse Merlot 2005

We have been enjoying this Merlot for years; I think we received our first one as a gift in 2001. Based on our experience you will always be happy with this.

"this deeply pigmented wine offers flavors of plum, black cherry, cedar and toasted oak." (I didn't notice the oak).
$15 at Western (normally $19)

Twenty Rows - The Grappler 200x

One of our many selections for Man Trip 2007. We previously reviewed this wine in December 2006 and grabbed it again on a recent trip to Western.

"The Grappler is an intriguing blend of 58% Zinfandel, 30% Syrah, and 12% Cabernet Sauvignon. The three grapes come from three different regions of California: Lake County, Paso Robles, and Calistoga respectively. But this melting pot wine is in no way undistinctive. It's got deep color, intense aromas, great integration of flavors, and everything you'd want in a masculine Zin blend. Black cherries with some spicy cinnamon and pepper, a hint of smoke on the finish, and a long finish make this an experience from start to finish."

$18 @ Western.

Qupe Syrah 2005

Gosh, how many times have we quaffed this and it hasn't been blogged. Not officially anyway. The 2004 did make the trip to NC last year but didn't get described. Anyway, this is a delicious and very reliable CA Central Coast Syrah. It is extremely well balanced in fruit, spice (a hint of pepper), and finish.

From the winemakers: "This wine is 93% syrah, 4% Grenache, 2% Mourvèdre and 1% Counoise. The grapes come from 16 different vineyards in the Central Coast – 55% from Santa Barbara County; 39% from Paso Robles and 6% from the Arroyo Grande Valley.

2005 was an amazing vintage for both quality and quantity and, in fact, it’s one of the best vintages I’ve seen in my 27 years on the Central Coast. The grapes had impeccable balance and flavor intensity and the perfect weather allowed us to really dial in the harvest sugars."

About $13 at Overton & Vine.

Castano Monastrell 2005

The Winoblog team has been drinking but not posting. Sorry 'bout that. I think we have mainly been repeating selections previously written about. Anyway, here's a new one that caught my eye this week in the supermarket. The large bold "C" on the label seemed familar. Turns out it's another juicy tasty offering from Bodegas Castaño. (see July 1st post). This is 100% Monastrell (Mourvèdre) - loaded with fruit in the right concentration.

Winemaker notes: "Excellent example of the Monastrell grape in its early years. Intense aromas of black fruit (plums) and less ripe red fruit (cranberries, mulberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants). On the palate it is fruity and fresh, and alive with tannins which leaves a pleasant aftertaste."

The Wine Advocate - "The 2005 Monastrell is an insane value produced from three vineyard sites ranging in age from 40-60 years. Opaque purple-colored, it gives up fragrant aromas of blue fruits, plums, and prunes. Ripe, layered, and full-flavored, this hedonistic effort can be enjoyed now but will surely evolve for 2-3 years. Match it with beef and lamb."

$6.99 at Western.

French wine map

I just received this in an email from the French Tourist Office - it's an interactive map (in English) of French winegrowing regions. C'est utile pour l'education.

View map

The Wolftrap 2005

This is a Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvedre, Viognier blend from the South African makers of The Chocolate Block. It's a really sensational blend in the style of a southern France wine such as Chateauneuf du Pape, Cote du Rhone, or Cotes de Provence. (Interesting that a little white is used.) We are posting this just after having our first couple of glasses with grilled pork chops and wilted spinach.

2+ stars. Great value at 8.99 at Village Wine Market. (Imported by Vineyard Brands of Birmingham)

86 Points - Wine Spectator
"Soft and forward, with mocha, cherry and plum flavors and an easygoing finish. Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvedre and Viognier. Drink now. 27,500 cases made."

Wines at Charlie Trotter's, Chicago

On 07/07/07 the Brewers and the Simon-Tills celebrated the numerologically significant day. Our wines:

• Mirabile Insolia 2004 (Sicily)
  
• Naiades Bodegas Naia 2005 (Rueda, Spain) Verdejo
  
• Barbaresco Moccagotta "Cole" 2003 (Piedmonte, Italy) Nebbiolo
  

Some comments we found ...

2006 Mirabile Insolia: ($16 retail) Insolia, a native Sicilian white grape variety, is known for its perfumey, herbal scent. Mirabile’s bottling is no exception; the oddly appealing aroma recalls ripe mango and pineapple along with fresh oregano.

2005 Naiades Bodegas Naia: ($29 retail) This wine is made from 90 year old vines and is 100% Verdejo. A mixture of pear, honey and crisp acidity along with white peach and honeysuckle aromas soar from the glass of this surprisingly Burgundian style white. Enjoy with seafood and in particular shellfish.

Barbaresco: Nebbiolo - 100%. Vinification and aging: Maceration on the skins in steel vats with temperature control, ageing in French oak barriques for 18 months. Wine Advocate (Robert Parker), 91; Wine Spectator, 91. Mary says "damn good". Generally it's said that you should serve your best bottle first while the palate is extra alert. But we had this one last and it was "wow". I will note that our sommelier was extremely helpful and easy to work with. ($53 retail)

French Winemakers Welcome Warmer Summers

Heard on "Morning Edition", August 6, 2007 · In 2003, France got a glimpse of what the future may hold. A summer heat wave broke all temperature records, straining the country's medical and energy resources. But a future of warmer summers could bring unexpected pleasures — including wine.

Click for text, photos, audio

Ten Mile

What a great wine. A suggestion from the wine dude at the Piggly Wiggly in Homewood. I wanted something easy to drink and cheap. A wine that would appeal to the "I don't care what it tastes like as long as it's Merlot" crowd and not hurt the wallet when the complained. In a nutshell I wanted something in the Big House Red or House Wine family. This was great and a big hit with everyone at the party. I suggest you pick up a bottle of this and because it is so cheap (around $10) maybe you should get two or three. And for those of you interested in the grape, it is a blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignane and Barbera .

Vilosell 2005 Segre Red Wine

Another excellent red spanish wine. This was suggested to me by the fine wine dudes at Western Mountain Brook. One wine, which I have forgotten the name, was only ok and more expensive than the original. I opened this bottle tonight and was quite impressed. Even for a bottle that cost $13.99.

Leigh just yelled down the stairs to ask what the name of this wine was. She said "this is good! Or as they say, smooooth." That pretty much says it all. This will be a regular in the Wright wine cellar (8 bottle cooler).

For you wine nerds, "This Catalan red from wine maker Tomás Cusiné is made in the relatively new wine region Costers del Segre in Northeeastern Spain not far from Priorat. It's a very dark reddish-purple color with a garnet edge. Plum and black cherries add a hint of barnyard and a whiff of oak in a complex aroma. Fruit-forward flavors blend cherry cordial and sharp acidity, with more subtle earthy minerality, restrained oaky vanilla and perceptible tannins in the background. Warm and long, it seems a little more alcoholic than the advertised 13%, and it leaves a bit of gritty sediment in the bottom of the glass and bottle. US Importer: European Cellars LLC, Charlotte, N.C.; an Eric Solomon Selection."

Bodegas Castano 2004 Hecula

I have been wanting to drink more spanish wine lately. The spanish wines I have had at parties and friends houses have been excellent. I finally went to Western in M.B. and asked for a recommendation. This little $10 jewel was handed to me. I'll be back. Lifted description is below.

100% Monastrell.
Bodegas Castano has long been an advocate of the Monastrell varietal in the zone and its use has increased in other bodegas as a result. Known as Mourvedre in France and other parts of the world, the varietal is perhaps best known for its influence on the wines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape where the terroir and climate is not dissimilar to that of Yecla with both benefiting from a very warm, Mediterranean climate with warm days and nights.

Rosés coming up rosy?

The hot thing this year seems to be quality rosé wines because Mary and I are seeing them everywhere. They have always been there in the wine world but most of us had to erase them from our memory due to the horrors of white zinfandel and other "blush" wines.

We had a Spanish one at City Hall Diner in Vestavia about two weeks ago - the Marqués de Cáceres Rioja Rosado (rosy/pink/rosé rioja). It should be served medium chilled and will not be sweet (we didn't take notes).

What do you think? Post a comment about your rosé.

Ol' Red (a California blend)

This one might be a 3 star especially considering it's on sale for $9.99 at Village Wine Market. Enjoyed with steaks Saturday night, this red has nice fruit but doesn't overdo it. I thought it was delicious.

Cosentino in Napa is the winery and they say: A multi-vintage Solera style blend from 1997 to 2005 from California (Napa, Sonoma, Lodi and Solano County areas).

A unique blend of Pinot Noir, Syrah, Carignane and Zinfandel with small lots of Merlot, Sangiovese, Mouvedre, Petite Sirah and a few other things.

Originally each lot was made separately and barrel aged for one to eight years prior to blending. After blending the master lot a good portion is put back into barrels for further aging until the next cuvee is put together.

Ruby colored with crimson edges. Extremely rich and round with a feel of liquid satin. Baked cherries and berries with sweet baking spices in the nose. A creamy melange of red and black fruits with earthy complexities. Structured and balanced with supple, ripe tannins and a long smooth finish- this is a unique experience.

Note: they say it's out of stock.

Another Wine Blog

From NPR's story of the day podcast I came across the Wine Library. NPR states: "At a bland building in suburban New Jersey, Gary Vaynerchuk is demystifying the wine world. Through Wine Library TV -- an almost daily Web broadcast of wine tastings from his store -- Vaynerchuk hopes to put people at ease when they choose a bottle of vino." It is a great little blog and you should check it out.

http://tv.winelibrary.com/

Allan Scott Sauvignon Blanc 2004

Another white from our visit to Highland Lake. Normally I'm biased toward CA Sauvignon Blancs but Scott at Overton & Vine told me I really should try it. Hmm, Scott ... Allan Scott ... something fishy there. Anyway, we enjoyed it and it's a great value under $10. (I went back and bought more.) In the absense of actual memories and impressions I offer you the winemaker's notes:

The 2004 harvest was a ‘boomer’ for Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc in terms of quality and quantity. High sugar levels and a mixture of flavour profiles make the 2004 Allan Scott Sauvignon Blanc a very interesting wine.

Description
A very full bodied wine that contains an abundance of fruit flavours and a spanking acidity. Pineapple, passionfruit and melon like flavours are all present, in addition to a hint of Marlborough herbaceousness. A very lively and approachable wine.

No Whining / Jean Reverdy Sancerre 2004

Here is one grape libation we enjoyed at Highland Lake, AL with our friends and their kids. I lost my tasting notes but can definitely recommend this as a pleasant white. See the March 15, 2006 post for another 2004 Sancerre from Reverdy.

Marco Real Tempranillo Navarra 2004

This is our second bottle of this great Spanish that's 100% Tempranillo. First bottle came from a store we visited with the Olivers and I found one locally at V. Richard's. Rick commented that the best values in reds are coming from Spain right now and I have to agree.

"Exhibiting greater fruit, complexity, and elegance than the Garnacha without sacrificing any of its meat or succulence, is the fuller, more rustic, but savory, distinctive, medium to full-bodied 2003 Tempranillo. Floral, blue and black fruit, abundant texture, and a heady finish suggest it should be drunk over the next several years." Robert Parker, Jr., The Wine Advocate

We enjoyed this with smoked beef brisket. $9.99. 3 stars for under $10 is pretty unique.

Cellar No. 8 Zinfandel

I was looking through the December 2006 Consumer Reports magazine for who knows what, I came across the wine buyers guide. They looked for affordable, under $20, red's and whites. Two reds came in as excellent and one we have reviewed. The Seghesio Zinfandel which comes in at $20. The other red was Cellar No. 8 Zinfandel and can be purchased anywhere for under $10. This received Consumer Reports Best Value title. Not that I would go to CR for wine suggestions but they are right on it for this review. This is a great bottle of Zin and for under $10 it will become one of my standard drinkin' wines.

David Bruce Pinot Noir 2003

The second wine from our dinner at Hot & Hot on 3/10/07. Expect to pay about $27 in a wine store.

We chose that because they did not have the MacRostie Pinot Noir and they suggested it as a replacement. Also, Rob and Mary have had it before and have a bottle in their cellar. Note: David Bruce makes several PNs from various regions and the Hot&Hot wine list does not clarify which one they offer.