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Wine Blog from The International Wine of the Month Club

A wine blog written by the experts from The International Wine of the Month Club

Stellenbosch: South Africa’s Rising Star

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Stellenbosch Wine Country

South Africa has had a thriving wine industry since the 17th century, but there has never been a better time to discover South African wines than now. Quality and innovation push the envelope and values abound. And nowhere in South Africa is this truer than in the much heralded winelands of Stellenbosch.

Located on the Western Cape less than an hour north of Cape Town, the picture-postcard town of Stellenbosch and the surrounding mountains form a dramatic backdrop for what has justly been heralded as the most beautiful wine country in the world. Although some may try to refute that claim and promote the various picturesque merits of other world-renowned wine regions, what is not in question is the integral role Stellenbosch has played for more than three centuries in the formation of South African wine. Yes, the South African wine industry is that old; it dates back to the second half of the 17th century. Not only is Stellenbosch South Africa’s oldest and most important wine producing region, it is the finest region for red and white wines on the African continent. It is South Africa’s Napa, Sonoma, and Santa Barbara counties, along with more than a few touches of France. It contains a myriad of microclimates, which allows for the cultivation of an enormous number of grape varieties. Consequently, Stellenbosch is responsible for high quality red and white wines from a host of varietals that include Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Viognier, and South Africa’s unique varietal, Pinotage, a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault. From wineries in Stellenbosch old and new flow an enormous variety of wines that are world class and wholly unique in character. So don’t wait to discover the unique, incredibly flavorful wines of Stellenbosch – South Africa’s rising wine star and the world’s most beautiful wine land.

Salud!
Don

Caps vs. Corks Revisited

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Fifteen years ago I wrote a piece called “To Screw or Unscrew the Cap,” which chronicled my journey from ardent detractor of the screw cap to stalwart supporter. My change of heart, though it would be more accurate to say change of mind or palate, came about not from any sense of aesthetic appeal on the part of the cap but from the simple fact that caps consistently do their job well. In fact, the screw cap does its job better than cork. This fact has hit home more times than I care to remember, and I find the reminder especially poignant after opening a special bottle of wine that had lain comfortably in my cellar for a number of years, only to open it and discover that the wine is corked. Those special bottles I had saved for some monumental occasion or another were completely undrinkable. The wine didn’t start life corked, nor did the winemaker make a mistake or the temperature control in the cellar fail. The wine was sound when it entered the bottle, but the cork was not. The cork was infected with TCA (trichloroanisole), which is found naturally in the bark of some cork oak or is formed by a chemical reaction of phenols (organic compounds found in grapes, corks, and other plant matter) with mold spores. TCA can also be activated by chlorine. Although harmless, TCA can render a wine totally undrinkable (which was the case with my special bottles) or it can impart only a slight mustiness or muted flavor to wine. In either case, the pleasure is gone.

So what does one do with a seriously corked bottle? If it is a recent purchase, I suggest you return it to your merchant and request a replacement. Otherwise, you pour it down the drain as I have sadly done on more than one occasion, including a fine bottle of Chateaux Margaux. TCA afflicts the rich and poor alike, an equal opportunity nemesis to expensive and inexpensive wines unless the wine is closed with a screw cap. Corked bottles are happily becoming increasingly rare, but they do still occur. I don’t love the aesthetic appeal of the cap, and I miss the sound of good cork exiting a bottle, but I don’t miss corked bottles. Consequently, I say “bring on the screw caps!” They may not be gorgeous or romantic, but they allow wine to come to my table and yours just the way the winemaker had intended, so let’s not be snobbish about what encloses our wines because what is in the bottle and our glasses are all that matter. Besides, many of the world’s finest and most expensive wines now come with a cap.

Sauld!
Don

Spain’s Priorat and Montsant: Red Wines That Over-Deliver

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Nearly every wine drinker is familiar with Rioja and Ribera del Duero, the sources of Spain’s great Tempranillo based wines, but there is more to red Spanish wine than Tempranillo and the ubiquitous Garnacha vines that seem to grow nearly everywhere in Spain. As wonderful as these individual grape varietals are on their own, much can be said for outstanding blends. Enter Priorat and Montsant, two of the oldest and most traditional of Spanish wines that deserve to be revered for their quality as well as their many unique personalities.

Priorat and Montsant (appellations as well as wines) remain off the beaten tourist track and are relatively unknown except to serious red wine lovers. Priorat is a sparsely populated wine region southwest of Barcelona at the very heart of Catalonia. The same obscurity can be claimed by the nearby appellation of Montsant that surrounds historic Priorat, the birthplace of Antoni Gaudi, the celebrated Catalan architect whose hand is imbedded in the skyline of Barcelona. Priorat is also a rugged, breathtaking landscape of savage beauty, high mountains, and sheep-studded pastures in which every village and hamlet appears steeped in history. Here the first Carthusian monastery in Spain was founded in the 12th century. And, during the 20th century, one of the greatest and most decisive battles of the Spanish Civil War took place in Priorat on the banks of the Ebro River. However, what sets Priorat above other more renowned wine producing regions is its expanse of ancient, ungrafted vines of Cariñena (Carignan) and Garnacha (Grenache) to which varying amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot are added. What results are lush, full-bodied, natural tasting wines with considerable energy, power, and personality. Moreover, the best wines of Priorat age remarkably well and can compete with the finest wines made anywhere in the world

The central part of Priorat, often referred to as Priorat històric, is famous for its llicorella soil, a mixture of brown slate and solid rock. Here all of the Priorat’s premium grape varieties thrive in the dry, continental climate that for all intents and purposes may as well be light years away from the nearby Mediterranean Sea, a mere twenty miles distant. However, no where on earth do Carignan and Grenache together express themselves with such force and dignity as in Spain’s Priorat.

Montsant encircles Priorat and is demographically and legally part of the Priorat comarca or county. It is the appellation for the wine producing regions of the county that are not entitled to the Priorat (Denominación de Origen Calificada or DOC) designation. However, Priorat and Montsant share much in common. Montsant cultivates the same grape varieties as Priorat, and both Catalonian zones share a similar soil and climate; the main difference between them lies primarily in the predominance of llicorella soil in Priorat. The wines of Priorat are often a bit fuller and richer than those of Montsant, too, though Montsant can be easier to understand at the outset. Collectively, Priorat and Montsant share the propensity to over-deliver. For the moment, the wines of Montsant are typically less expensive than those from Priorat, but the price gap is rapidly closing, so now is the time to get acquainted.

Salud!
Don

What to Look For In May

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Each month The International Wine of the Month Club delivers to our members the finest quality and value in wines from around the world. This May, The International Wine of the Month Club Premier Series features four special selections from France and the United States. The lead wine in this series is the 2014 Tierra y Mar Russian River Syrah. Hailing from a renowned single vineyard, the 2014 Tierra y Mar Russian River Syrah offers up a deep draught of black cherry and blueberry aromas in the nose along with hints of black pepper to accompany the wine’s eye-catching inky color. Syrah’s classic savory black fruit and spice flavors emerge on the palate, backed by round tannins and a voluptuous texture that belies the wine’s youth. Yet, there is enough flesh and bone in Tierra y Mar’s 2014 Russian River Syrah to carry it through 2022 and beyond. Enjoy the youthful, thoroughly charming 2014 Tierra y Mar Russian River Syrah now and over the next five years.

Our next Premier Series offering is the 2015 Wild Goose Russian River Chardonnay, a wine sired in the Russian River Valley in a vintage that delivered an exceptional crop of Chardonnay. An unseasonably cold spring produced tiny clusters and low yields that developed under near perfect summer conditions to deliver outstanding quality. The 2015 Wild Goose Russian River Chardonnay offers a rich color and amplifying aromatics redolent of apple, pear, and honey with appealing hints of exotic spices. Refreshing on the palate, Wild Goose’s 2015 Russian River Chardonnay displays an engaging mélange of orchard and stone fruits along with a creamy texture. A well-balanced acidity adds to the complexity of the wine and amplifies its finish, while subtle well-integrated oak tones add to the overall appeal, without overpowering the wine’s juicy fruit.

Next among this month’s exciting quartet is the 2015 Château du Trignon Côtes-du-Rhône, a wine that displays a brilliant, intense ruby color and a wealth of savory scents and flavors, which mark it as classic Côtes-du-Rhône. The tantalizing scents of raspberries, wild strawberries, and red currants first grace the nose where they mingle with hints of spice and aromatic herbs. In the mouth, the wine reveals its pure berry fruit flavors, which quickly delight the palate and are nicely framed by subtle spice tones and supple tannins. Balanced and smooth, yet full of flavor, the 2015 Château du Trignon Côtes-du-Rhône embodies the beauty and energy of Provence.

Rounding out this month’s Premier Series offerings is the 2015 Château du Trignon Roussanne Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc. Ripe juicy flavors, supreme purity, elegance, and balance characterize this outstanding effort that Wine Spectator awarded 90 points, an exceptionally high score among white wines from the Rhône. Light, fresh floral flavors beguile the nose and seep almost surreptitiously into the flavor of the wine, before gliding gleefully across the tongue and slipping down the throat with a flourish. This is not a wine for Chardonnay drinkers who beg for smoke and butter, but for those who appreciate the pure natural fruit flavors and crisp acidity of an extraordinary grape. In short, Château du Trignon’s 2015 Roussanne Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc is a wine without guile or pretense, and it makes a strong statement and an authentic case for Roussanne and other premier white grape varietals from France’s Rhône Valley.

The International Wine of the Month Club’s Collectors Series is delighted to offer three exceptional and uniquely different wines to its members this month, beginning with Chapel Hill’s 2014 McLaren Vale Shiraz. The 2014 Chapel Hill McLaren Vale Shiraz marks another high water mark for this outstanding property. Garnering from Wine Advocate 92+ Points, the deeply colored 2014 Chapel Hill McLaren Valle Shiraz offers an impressive array of savory aromas: a core of blackberry and mulberry fruits infused with forest woodlands, wild herbs, and cracked black pepper wafts from the glass. Full-bodied and concentrated but without the heavy jammy flavors that detract from many lesser South Australian offerings, Chapel Hill’s 2014 McLaren Vale Shiraz not only reveals Michael Fragos’ acumen with Shiraz, it highlights McLaren Vale’s superb terroir.

Our next May Collectors Series offering is the 2014 Fournier Père et Fils 2014 Cuvée Silex, a wine named for a 6 acre vineyard parcel comprised of prime silex soil, a mixture of flint, clay, limestone, and silica. This soil combination found only on a few choice hillsides in France’s Loire Valley, combined with an outstanding 2014 vintage in the Loire, has yielded a very impressive wine capable of long ageing and an amplifying bouquet full of floral notes, flint and a complex array of herbs. In the mouth, the 2014 Cuvée Silex figuratively explodes, delivering an ideal blend of fresh Sauvignon Blanc fruit and crisp mineral driven flavors. Cuvée Silex is truly Sauvignon Blanc at its pinnacle, a wine for those who love their Sauvignon Blanc bold and beautiful. No light flabby flavors appear in this wine. Enjoy!

Completing this month’s Collectors Series is the outstanding 2013 Rockburn Central Otago Pinot Noir, a wine that not only underscores Central Otago’s preeminent position as New Zealand’s premier Pinot Noir producing region, it highlights Rockburn’s consistent attention to quality. Rockburn’s Pinot Noirs have for three years in a row made Cuisine’s Top 10 List. Rockburn’s 2013 Central Otago Pinot Noir sports a brilliant ruby robe and plenty of aromatic fireworks to capture the imbiber, even before the first sip. Add great palate appeal in the form of ripe cherry and raspberry fruit, a velvety texture, delightful cedar and spice tones, and a firm structure to assure a long happy life and the 2013 Rockburn Pinot Noir equals classic Pinot with all of the attributes that grape can muster. Dry, firm and long on the finish, without overly oaky or tart flavors, this Central Otago Pinot Noir ought to be a poster child for cool climate Pinot Noir.

Salut!
Don

Bold Red Wines: What America Craves

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bold-red-wineEveryday wine drinkers, collectors and self-styled connoisseurs alike all seem to crave bold red wines and gobble them up with glee. And why not? Flavor drives our palate preferences and the wines we buy. This is not to take anything away from a lighter, more delicate red wine such as a juicy Morgon Cru Beaujolais or a complex, racy California Pinot Noir. Every wine has a place and its own appeal. Yet, for many of us, there is something compelling about bold-flavored wines that fill the mouth and, on occasion at least, completely satiate the senses.

Bold red wines, like anything else, exist on a continuum. Consequently, what constitutes a bold red to one person may not please the palate of another. Certainly, the level of alcohol and the tannic structure of a wine contribute to the boldness of wines, but bold does not have to mean brawny or brazen. Bold flavors are born of esters, the combination of acids and alcohols, which impart aroma and flavor to wine. Enjoyable bold red wines provide much more than alcohol and tannins; they display rich, complex flavors, pronounced varietal character, and a sense of place, along with authority and structure. Although some bold red wines may register 14.5%-15% alcohol or more, many others will not; they will rely upon rich fruit flavors, pronounced ripe tannins, well-integrated oak tones from expert barrel ageing, physiological ripeness, and the deft hand of a skilled winemaker to engender their bold delicious flavors.

Full-bodied California Cabernets and Syrahs that brim with varietal character, single vineyard red Zinfandels, sublime Priorats, splendid Tempranillos from Spain’s Ribera del Duero, Châteauneuf-du-Papes and flavor-packed Grenache offerings from Languedoc and the Rhône Valley of France, and highly acclaimed Carmenères, Cabernets and Malbec blends from South America are just some red wines that may qualify as bold reds.

For bold, beautiful, long-lived California Cabernets of exceptional quality look to Caymus, Harlan, Lewis, Krug and Obsidian Ridge, with Obsidian Ridge a contender for the title of the greatest of all values in premium California Cabernet Sauvignon. Beckmen and Stoplman Vineyards fashion bold, hedonistic Syrahs from California’s Ballard Canyon, wines that easily match the quality of California’s top Cabernet Sauvignons. Tempranillo-based Bosconcillos, Condado de Haza, Emilio Moro and Pesquera from Ribera del Duero, and the deep, robust blends from Galena and Pasanau in Priorat also demonstrate Spain’s acumen in fashioning bold red wines. Château Beaucastel and Domaine Grand Tinel fashion equally impressive wines across the border in France from old vine Grenache, as do a host of Châteauneuf-du-Pape producers. And then there is Zinfandel from Cambridge Cellars, Martinelli and Tierra Y Mar, Carmenère from Casa Silva, Casas del Bosque and other Chilean producers, and many more bold reds from expert producers around the globe. Bold is indeed beautiful!

Salud!
Don

The Best Spanish Wines: Rioja and More

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Spain12x16_2In spite of the wealth and variety of Spanish wines that lap upon our shores, Rioja remains the name most familiar to Americans. Rioja is a traditional style of wine with longstanding brand recognition that consistently delivers affordable, quality wines in several styles, and its name is easy to pronounce. Names such as Montaña, Martinez Corta, and Valenciso, among others, not only flow easily across the tongue, they connote quality, style and value. Yet, Spain remains a treasure trove of exciting red and white wines from across the Iberian Peninsula that deserve the recognition that Rioja commands.

The refreshing, sprightly Verdejo from Rueda, a historic area south of Rioja, is only now catching on among wine drinkers. An indigenous Spanish white grape, Verdejo was resurrected from near extinction in the 1970s thanks to a couple of erudite wine growers, including Angel Rodriguez who created Martinsancho by grafting Verdejo cuttings from his 300 year old vineyard into a nearby vineyard, and sending those cuttings to nurseries throughout Europe. Pure, natural and unadulterated, Angel Rodriquez’s Martinsancho remains the quintessential Rueda Verdejo.

The full-bodied red wines of Ribera del Duero, Priorat, and Tarragona also deserve better recognition, especially among wine drinkers thirsting for bold red wines with robust frames. Condado de Haza and Pesquera from the flamboyant Alejandro Fernandez, as well as Dominio Basconcillos, Mauro, and the legendary but expensive Vega Sicilia offer unsurpassed quality from Ribera del Duero. Clos Galena and Pasanau from Priorat provide equally compelling bold reds at prices that won’t necessitate a second mortgage. The same can be said for Terrer d’Aubert, a boutique Tarragona winery that crafts exceptional full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon and Garnacha/Cabernet blends.

la-rioja-wine-region-by-alex-porta-i-tallant
La Rioja Wine Region

For elegant, somewhat lighter red wines we suggest looking to Spain’s Bierzo and Ribeira Sacra regions for Mencia – a grape that some have likened to Pinot Noir. Mencia from producers such as Altos de Losada and Peza do Rei fashion age worthy red wines that offer haunting aromatics and considerable complexity. Godello, another indigenous Spanish varietal, also hails from Bierzo and Ribeira Sacra where it yields very tasty white wines that are well worth seeking out.’

Salud!
Don

Photos Credit: WineFolly

The Bold Reds Wine Club Is Here!

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bold-reds-wine-clubFor quite some time we’ve had members ask us for a club that features bold, red wines and we are happy to announce that it is finally here! Our two-tiered tasting panel will be looking for medium- to full-bodied wines with superb structure, pronounced ripe tannins, deep fruit flavors, and well-integrated oak tones from barrel aging.

Examples of bold red wines members of the club will receive include highly acclaimed Cabernets, Malbec blends and Carmenères from South America, single-vineyard red Zinfandels, full-bodied California Cabernets, Spanish Priorats and Ribera del Dueros, and Châteauneuf-du-Papes from the Rhône Valley.

Don Lahey, Director of Product Development, has selected two outstanding wines for the inaugural selections. “The panel came across the 2012 Terrer d’Aubert D.O. Tarragona Cabernet Sauvignon earlier in the year and we all felt it was a perfect fit and well deserving of its 92-point Wine Spectator review. We found its savory fruit flavors mingled with hints of chocolate, tobacco, and complex earth tones and plenty of ripe toasty tannins. Our second selection, the 2014 Centonze Nero d’Avola Sicilia, is a relative newcomer to the American market and a winery we have had our eye on for some time. We found it clean, fleshy, and full-bodied, offering dark cherry and currant flavors, powerful tannic notes, and appealing spice and fruit flavors. We’re pretty pleased with our first month’s selections.”

To order or to learn more about this exciting new club, visit: The Bold Reds Wine Club page.

The International Wine of the Month Club

The International Wine of the Month Club | 1-800-625-8238 (Outside USA call: 949-206-1904) | P.O. Box 1627, Lake Forest, CA 92609