Wine Blog from The International Wine of the Month Club

The Varietal Connection: Who’s on First, What’s on Second

April 20, 2018 by Don Lahey

If we were playing the old Abbot and Costello routine, Chardonnay would be on first, Cabernet on second, and no one would know who’s on third. Why? So many grape varietals, so little time!

Grape varietals are the individual types of grapes that find their way into the world’s wines. There are upwards of four thousand distinct grape varieties in the world, though the vast majority of wines we consume emanate from less than three-dozen of the world’s varietals from the species Vitis vinifera. Some of the world’s varietal names are easily recognizable like Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot, for example, while others are literally unknown to average consumers and serious tasters alike, names such as Bobal, Nosiola, Pais, Prieto Picudo, and thousands more.

In the New World, wines are often bottled under the name of their primary grape variety (a minimum of 75% of one grape variety must be present for varietal bottling in the United States, while most of the rest of the wine producing world requires 80% of a wine to be of a single varietal to be so labeled). Proprietary names are often used in the New World for blends that do not contain the minimum percentage of a single variety. In Europe, the finest wines are often blends of various grapes and are known primarily by geographic appellation rather than by their primary varietal (although this is changing; more and more French and Italian wines from less celebrated wine producing regions are being bottled with varietal names). As in the United States, other non-European wine countries like Argentina, Australia, Chile, New Zealand and South Africa bottle most wines under a varietal name, even sometimes by grape combinations such as Cabernet-Shiraz.

Whether a wine graces our table as a varietal or a generic offering (Bordeaux, Burgundy, Chianti, Rioja, etc. are generic wines, as they are known by their place of origin rather than any grape variety) it should offer enjoyment and reflect in some way its place of origin. As for me, I am still trying to taste all four thousand or more of the world’s grape varieties, and then there are the thousands of distinct generic offerings from which to choose. So many wines, so very little time!

Salud!
Don

Zinfandel

March 16, 2018 by Don Lahey

Although its DNA points to Eastern Europe’s Primitivo grape as its ancestor and its New World appearance still remains under investigation, Zinfandel has been dubbed “America’s own grape variety.” In California, Zinfandel produces a wine quite different from its Croatian and Italian forebearers, and nowhere is that more apparent and welcome than in Sonoma County – the spiritual home of Zinfandel. In Dry Creek Valley and along the banks of Sonoma County’s Russian River, Zinfandel relishes the cooling Pacific breezes that funnel up the appellations’ canyons and valleys as its fruit basks in the long, dry summer afternoons, which not surprisingly bring the grape to the pinnacle of perfection. Zinfandel’s deep, rich colors, intense berry, bramble, and herb flavors, high alcohol, and lush tannins result in wines that fill the mouth and satisfy all of the senses.

One of Zinfandel’s keys to success is its extraordinary lifespan, which enables it to produce quality fruit well into old age. In fact, the oldest Zinfandel vineyards (many in California are in excess of 100 years of age) are the most prized. Zinfandel can be quite versatile, too (think White Zinfandel as well as many of California’s most celebrated and intense red wines). As an immigrant to our shores, Zinfandel embodies the American experience. It is a grape that has transformed itself over the last century and a half and honed its own unique identity. In the eyes of many, Zinfandel has become a bigger, better, more complex grape since its arrival in America with “a can-do attitude” and a unique identity all of its own.

Since the late 19^th century Zinfandel has enjoyed a favorable reputation among California’s leading Italian immigrant population and numerous Italian-American winemaking families who valued its rich flavors, strength, and vigor. Names such as Pedroncelli, Martinelli and Seghesio became nearly synonymous with Zinfandel and these wineries still enjoy iconic status as purveyors of America’s unique grape variety.

What to Look for in March 2018

March 9, 2018 by Don Lahey

In March, The International Wine of the Month Club’s Premier Series is proud to offer members four special wines from iconic producers on three continents. The 2014 Pedroncelli Mother Clone Zinfandel begins this month’s venture. Pedroncelli’s Mother Clone Zinfandel exemplifies the winery’s gracious, balanced style of Zinfandel. A Wine Spectator Recommended Wine and the recipient of multiple gold medals in California wine competitions, including 93 Points and a Gold Medal at the 2017 North of the Gate Wine Competition, the 2014 Mother Clone Zinfandel is a traditional blend of 90% Zinfandel and 10% Petite Sirah. Tangy blackberry and dried cherry fruit, anise, bramble, and hints of black pepper and chocolate permeate the nose and flavor of this zesty Zinfandel. Although it weighs in at 14.9% alcohol, one would never guess that from the wine’s balance, well-integrated tannins, and long, refreshing finish. The 2014 Pedroncelli Mother Clone Zinfandel is a true California Classic!

Our next feature this month, the 2016 Can Feixes Blanc Selecció, hails from Spain and the iconic Huguet brothers. Exceptional weather conditions in 2016 combined with the meticulous care the Huguet brothers afford their organic grapes has yielded a splendid 2016 Can Feixes Blanc Selecció. A recipient of 90 points from Wine Enthusiast and a Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Best Buy Wines for 2017, the 2016 Can Feixes Blanc Selecció comes across as pure, racy, and suave. A beautiful bouquet of apple, citrus blossoms, and melon, imbued with a gentle mineral underpinning, greets the nose. In the mouth, this rare Parellada-based wine seduces with subtlety and charm. Medium-bodied and devoid of oak, the organically grown 2016 Can Feixes Blanc Selecció preserves its natural fruit and mineral flavors to exude balance, elegance, and a true sense of place. Moreover, there are no hard edges to this wine, only a pleasant, refreshing finish.

This month’s next feature is the 2015 Casas del Bosque Gran Reserva, the recipient of Best of Show at the Wines of Chile Awards 2017. Today world class Syrah flows from many wine regions around the world, but few can match Casas del Bosque’s 2015 Gran Reserva Syrah from Casablanca Valley for quality and value. Imbued with a vivid purple color, deep, juicy blackberry and cassis flavors, and delightful hints of smoke, spice and violet, the 2015 Casas del Bosque Gran Reserva Syrah positively sings from the glass. Powerful, sappy, yet wonderfully smooth with ripe, well-integrated tannins, this award-winning Syrah provides superb drinking pleasure now but should continue to improve in bottle for several years to come. Enjoy!

Rounding out this month’s Premier Series selections is the award winning 2016 Casas del Bosque Reserva Sauvignon Blanc, the recipient of 90 points from both James Suckling and Descorchados. It is also a Wine Spectator Recommended Selection. Casas del Bosque’s 2016 Reserva Sauvignon Blanc continues Casas del Bosque’s “hot hand” with Sauvignon Blanc and adds further testimony to the superiority of Chile’s Casablanca Valley for growing cool climate grapes. The 2016 Casas del Bosque Casablanca Reserva Sauvignon Blanc offers the crispness of French Sancerre, the juicy citrus flavors of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, and beautiful fig and melon flavors along with an aromatic intensity that only Chile seems to impart to Sauvignon Blanc: a delightful mélange of citrus, melon, and herb that intensifies as the wine rests in the glass. Bright in color, captivating in aroma, and delicious in flavor, the exuberant 2016 Casas del Bosque Casablanca Reserva Sauvignon Blanc is even more alluring than the winery’s award winning 2015 Reserva Sauvignon Blanc.

The International Wine of the Month Club’s Collectors Series is proud to deliver three truly exceptional wines from three of the planet’s most renowned winemakers. The 2015 Ben Glaetzer Bishop Barossa Shiraz provides ample evidence of Ben Glaetzer’s acumen as a winemaker and Australia’s Barossa as the spiritual home of old vine Shiraz. Ben Glaetzer’s Bishop Barossa Shiraz displays an inviting royal purple robe, bold textured flavors, and wonderful purity – a full-bodied, take-no-prisoners style of wine. Awarded multiple 90+ point ratings, including 95 points from James Halliday and the Wine Companion, the 2015 Glaetzer Bishop offers a sensual bouquet of blackberry, mulberry, violets and spice as its invocation. The wine’s visual appeal is followed by enticing flavors of cassis, mulberry, plum, dark chocolate and clove. In the mouth, the 2015 Bishop offers not only beautiful fruit flavors, complex spice tones and well-integrated touches of oak; it carries this cornucopia of flavors on a bed of smooth textured tannins and a 15% alcohol level that is nearly imperceptible. Given the wine’s 15% alcohol level, one would expect the 2015 Bishop to be portly, but Ben Glaetzer’s 2015 Bishop is light on the palate in every way but flavor. Surprisingly easy to drink, this youthful Barossa Shiraz, which bears Ben’s mother’s name of Bishop, never loses its grace or charm. Moreover, its fine-grained tannins add structure and are seamlessly integrated into the wine’s fruit. Enjoy this expertly crafted Shiraz now through 2030.

Next up is the exceptional and rare 2015 Domaine des Baumard Savennières. The 2015 vintage in the Loire Valley may prove to be the finest in decades. In 2015 Florent Baumard has transformed the sensual, though sometimes mercurial, Chenin Blanc varietal into a bevy of truly outstanding wines. In the case of Baumard’s 2015 Savennières, we are looking at a refreshingly dry Chenin Blanc that offers the ideal tension between voluptuous fruit and bright acidity. Awarded 94 points by Wine Spectator and top billing as a Wine Spectator Smart Buy, Domaine des Baumard’s 2015 Savennières should not be missed. It opens with an alluring aroma of quince, poached pear, and verbena with an underpinning of racy minerality. In the mouth the wine displays a firm structure, an overlay of creamy fruit, touches of quinine, and a long, bright mineral driven finish born of Savennières’ limestone-rich soil. In its absolute infancy, this wine is already beautiful, but in true Baumard fashion the 2015 Savennières is built for the long haul and will easily improve for a decade or more.

Completing this month’s Collectors Series is the 2015 Bergström Cumberland Reserve Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. A blend from some of the finest barrels from each of the estate’s five vineyards, Bergström’s 2015 Cumberland Reserve Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is the epitome of the Bergström style and the quintessential Oregon Pinot Noir. In 2015 Bergström’s Cumberland Reserve rises to the top, providing additional evidence of Oregon’s acumen for fashioning world-class wine from the world’s most complex grape. Brooding, deep and dark in color, the 2015 Cumberland Reserve Pinot Noir offers up savory notes of black cherry, woodland berries, and pleasing scents of exotic spices. Although recently released and still in the throes of its youth, the 2015 Cumberland Reserve already displays a wonderfully smooth texture and mouth-feel along with a deep down collection of complex flavors. Ripe berries, exotic spices and wood smoke all make their appearance on the palate in this balanced, textured Pinot Noir that slowly unfolds in the glass for hours. Weighing in at a respectable 13.6% alcohol, the 2015 Bergström Cumberland Reserve is neither thin nor flabby, which highlights Oregon’s special style of American Pinot Noir. Already delicious and nicely polished, Bergström’s 2015 Cumberland Reserve Pinot Noir may be one of the finest Cumberland Reserves ever produced. Enjoy!

What to Look For In February 2018

February 16, 2018 by Don Lahey

In February, The International Wine of the Month Club’s Premier Series offers four special wines. To begin this month’s wine adventure is the 2015 Château Ducasse Graves, the progeny of the exceptional and much heralded 2015 vintage in Bordeaux. The 2015 Château Ducasse Graves displays a deep purple robe and an enticing aroma of black fruits, cassis, unsmoked tobacco and supple earth tones that greet the nose and enliven the palate. In the mouth, this charming red Graves truly blossoms, revealing layers of satisfying flavors. Dry, yet rich on the palate, the 2015 Château Ducasse offers a wealth of flavors, blackberry and currant fruit, cedar, herbs and wood smoke to complement the wine’s ripe, firm tannins. The 2015 vintage in Bordeaux has endowed this wine with ample fruit and a healthy tannic structure along with exceptional texture, all of which bode well for both early consumption and long-term cellaring.

Our next Premier Series feature, the 2016 Cantina del Mandrolisai DOC Vermentino di Sardegna, is a wine blessed with a rich straw color, a beguiling floral bouquet of spring and summer flowers, and a gentle, sophisticated minerality. Cantina del Mandrolisai’s beautiful 2016 Vermentino engages the nose from the moment it is poured. The wine’s clean scented bouquet continues in the mouth, where pure ripe fruit flavors fill the mouth and the wine’s exceptional texture tantalizes the licentious palate, making subsequent sips nothing short of obligatory. To complement the wine’s sleek textured fruit, crisp acidity imbued with hints of citrus provides length and a long refreshing finish. The 2016 Cantina del Mandrolisai DOC Vermentino di Sardegna will certainly make members take note of the beautiful island of Sardinia and its charming Vermentino.

Next in this month’s quartet is the 2016 11 Piños Bobal Old Vines, a deep purple potion from Spain that welcomes the eye and delights the nose with seductive aromas of cherry, plum and spice. And in the mouth, the 2016 11 Piños Bobal Old Vines truly shows its hand, exhibiting bold, rich flavors. Cherry, plum, spice and hints of wood smoke grace the palate. This youthful Bobal offers plenty of concentration in a smooth, balanced frame made of soft tannins. Mouth-filling and persistent on the palate, the 11 Piños Bobal Old Vines marries the unique qualities of Bobal to the contemporary penchant for moderate oak ageing, making this wine very easy to drink.

Last but certainly not least in this month’s Premier Series is the mouthwatering 2016 Ottosoldi Gavi, a wine that embodies the essence of the Cortese varietal – supreme elegance and impeccable balance. From the wine’s pale yellow sun-splashed robe to its long, snappy finish, the 2016 Ottosoldi Gavi offers delightful drinking. Fragrant with floral scents and the aromas of pear and citrus, this Ottosoldi Gavi is sure to elicit a smile and delight the senses. Lacking extremes in weather during the 2016 growing season, the 2016 Ottosoldi Gavi maintains a healthy tension between fruit and fresh acidity, an attribute that preserves Gavi’s hauntingly delicate ethereal quality. Add subtle minerality and a long, racy finish and it becomes obvious why Ottosoldi’s Gavi has consistently been lauded by critics and consumers alike.

The International Wine of the Month Club’s Collectors Series is proud to offer three truly exceptional, highly allocated wines in February. Our first February feature is the outstanding 2010 Valenciso Rioja Reserva from the most impeccably run property in Rioja. The otherworldly 2010 Valenciso Rioja Reserva continues this bodega’s hot hand by turning in another terrific performance. Tim Atkins, Master of Wine, and Decanter magazine awarded the 2010 Valenciso Rioja Reserva 96 points. The 2010 Valenciso Reserva is adorned with a deep purple robe, explosive aromatics, finely polished fruit, and captivating spice tones. And as we have found with each and every vintage from this superbly run estate, the 2010 Valenciso Reserva embodies much of the confidence, personality, and charm of winemaker Luis Valentin. Produced from 100% Tempranillo, Valenciso’s 2010 Rioja Reserva offers savory scents of red and black fruits, ripe woodland berries, sandalwood, cinnamon, and deft touches of vanilla from oak barrel ageing. In the mouth, the wine unfolds slowly and persistently in true Rioja Alta fashion to reveal a wellspring of fruit, spice, and warm wood flavors. Moreover, layers of complex flavors continue to tantalize the palate and linger long after the wine slips down the throat. The 2010 Valenciso Reserva strikes the ideal balance between fruit and structure, characteristics that have consistently earned Valenciso international acclaim.

Our next February Collectors Series is an exceedingly impressive barrel fermented Chardonnay from a pioneering Walla Walla producer, the 2014 Woodward Canyon Washington State Chardonnay, a wine that positively sings from the glass. The show begins with the wine’s attractive hue and continues with tantalizing aromas of freshly picked apples and pears, brioche, and hazelnut. The bouquet on this wine alone sealed the deal for us. However, wait until this vibrant, complex Chardonnay has a chance to work its magic in the mouth. Superbly integrated vanilla tones complement the wine’s juicy fruit and vibrant acidity to enliven the palate. Burgundian in style, Woodward Canyon’s 2014 Washington State Chardonnay offers a delightful set of complex flavors in the form of orchard and stone fruit flavors, lightly buttered toast, and subtle hints of spice before exiting with a long racy flourish. The recipient of numerous 90+ ratings, including Editor’s Choice and 91 points from Wine Enthusiast as well as 91 points from Wine Advocate, the 2014 Woodward Canyon Chardonnay is indeed special and quite enjoyable now, but one need not be in a hurry as this rock solid Chardonnay has plenty of years of life ahead of it.

The 2013 Round Pond Estate Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon rounds out this month’s superb Collectors Series offerings. The recipient of 94 points from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, this wine truly reflects Round Pond’s highly prized terroir, the region’s signature Rutherford dust, and the inherent benevolence of the 2013 vintage in Napa Valley – certainly one of the finest vintages for Cabernet Sauvignon on record. Round Pond’s 2013 Rutherford Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Petit Verdot and 4% Malbec) embodies the best of all worlds, both old and new as it melds the finest Napa Valley fruit to Bordeaux elegance and complexity. Hand-crafted entirely from the top 5% of Round Pond’s Rutherford estate, it exhibits a complex set of aromatics, layers of gorgeous fruit, polished tannins and exceptional minerality thanks to Rutherford’s magical dust. Rich cassis, plum and floral scents grace the nose and palate. In the mouth, one senses the wine’s richness and experiences the complex layers of fruit, exotic spices and minerals that make Round Pond’s Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon so appealing. This wine has been described as “intense, smooth, medium-bodied, rich, and supple.” Although seemly contradictory, Round Pond’s 2013 Rutherford Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is all of these and more. Enjoy!

Rioja: Home to Spain’s Best Red Wine Bargains

February 9, 2018 by Don Lahey

Rioja has been dubbed “a land of history, light and color, vines and wheat, and above all, people for whom friendship is the greatest possible treasure” by the Rioja Minister of Tourism. Rioja is all of this and more, a land etched by history and endowed by a special wine that shares the region’s name. Moreover, Rioja wine is as warm, friendly, and distinctive as the people who inhabit this unique land halfway between Spain’s capital and the towering Pyrenees Mountains. Rioja also enjoys a reputation as the most approachable and recognized name in great Spanish wine and the home of Spain’s best red wine bargains.

Vineyards have always influenced the history and character of the people in the Rioja. Long before France became a bastion of fine wine, the Romans had settled in Iberia and pushed inland from the Mediterranean to the headwaters of the Ebro River and its tiny tributary, Rio Oja, from which Rioja derives its name. In Rioja, the Romans found ideal conditions for the cultivation of Spain’s most important indigenous grape varietals, Tempranillo, Mazuelo, Graciano, and Garnacha (Grenache), which today constitute modern red Rioja. Given its long history for continuously producing fine red wines, Rioja not surprisingly received Spain’s first Denominaciones de Origen (D.O.) in 1933.

It is Rioja’s unique blend of red grapes, coupled with an often lavish hiatus in small oak barrels, which yields warm, truly dry, yet richly fruity red wines of great finesse and perfume, many of which can appear nearly immortal in great vintages. Although a few names in Rioja carry hefty price tags, the vast majority of red Rioja comes from 132,000 acres and three distinct zones (Rioja Alavesa, Rioja Alta, and Rioja Baja). These wines sell for far less than wines of comparable quality from elsewhere, making red Rioja one of the planet’s greatest red wine bargains.

Red Rioja comes in four basic styles: Joven, Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva. The amount of oak barrel aging, coupled with time in the bottle before release, determines the designation. These styles begin with Joven, which receives little or no time in oak barrels, and culminates with Gran Reserva, which matures in barrels for two or more years and cannot be sold before its fifth birthday.

The best bargains in Rioja are among the Joven, Crianza, and Reserva designations. Although many old Gran Reservas can be exceptional, others can appear dried out and lacking in fruit due to their extended stays in barrel. In America, Rioja Reservas reign supreme, having found the fine balance between freshness, complexity, and maturity with just the right patina of oak to please the American palate.

Salud!
Don

Older Entries »