back to store

800.625.8238

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

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

by

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

Seared Mahi-Mahi with Saffron Risotto and Mango Sauce

by

This elegant dish is sure to impress at your next dinner party or even for Father’s Day! Try pairing it with our Collector’s Series Fournier Père et Fils Cuvée Silex Sancerre 2014.

Ingredients

  • 1 mango
  • 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro leaves, soaked or well-rinsed to remove all traces of sand
  • 1 clove garlic, quartered
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
  • 1-ounce bottled water
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons stone-ground mustard
  • 1 lime microwaved and juiced (allow to cool before squeezing)
  • Salt & Pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon chopped shallots
  • 1 cup Arborio rice
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 1 pinch saffron threads
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 6 (6-ounce) mahi-mahi fillets
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 or 3 scallions, chopped, for garnish

Directions:

Peel the mango, cut into slices, and drop into the feed tube of a running blender to puree. Add the rice wine vinegar, cilantro, garlic, ginger, water, oil, mustard, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and set aside.

Bring chicken stock to a simmer. In a separate large saucepan on an adjacent burner, heat the olive oil and add the shallots and the rice. Lightly saute: you actually are toasting the rice. Cook until the rice becomes translucent and the shallots become soft, stirring constantly. Add the white wine to deglaze the pan. Begin slowly adding the warm stock, 1 ladle-full at a time, to the rice pan, stirring as you go. This will bring out the starch in the rice and make the mixture creamy. As the mixture absorbs the broth, ladle more into the pot. When the first ladle of stock has been absorbed into the rice, add the pinch of saffron. When all of the stock has been ladled into the rice pot, slowly simmer until the rice is soft and creamy. Stir the butter into the risotto for more flavor and creaminess. Set aside, keeping warm until needed.

Heat a saute pan for the fish. Rub fish fillets with oil, salt and pepper. Place in pan, skin side facing up. Turn the fish over after 3 to 4 minutes. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes or until done. Do not overcook the fish. It is done when the flesh springs back. Remove the fish to a utility platter. Place a mound of risotto on each plate. Top with mahi-mahi. Drizzle some mango sauce around the plate and top with chopped scallions.

Recipe by Robert Irvine courtesy of www.foodnetwork.com.

What to Look For In June

by

In June, The International Wine of the Month Club’s Premier Series offers four superlative wines from three different countries. The first in this series is the 2015 Casas del Bosque Reserva Carmenère from Casas del Bosque, Chilean Winery of the Year at the International Wine and Spirits Competition in London for two years in a row and highly acclaimed by Britain’s Decanter and Chile’s Descorchados. Deeply colored and packed with pungent aromas and flavors reminiscent of blackberry, mulberry, freshly cut tobacco, chocolate, and sweet bell pepper with touches of oak, the elegant, flavorful 2015 Casas del Bosque Carmenère shines from the moment it is poured. Although young and still exhibiting a youthful ardor, Casas del Bosque’s 2015 Reserva Carmenère exhibits superb balance: soft ripe tannins highlight the wine’s central core rather than overpower it to deliver great flavor and plenty of panache.

Our next Premier Series feature is the 2015 Fournier Sauvignon Blanc Val de Loire from Fournier Père et Fils, one of Sancerre’s greatest producers. This may well be the best bargain in French Sauvignon Blanc on the market today, as it could easily be mistaken for Sancerre from a top estate. The Fournier Sauvignon Blanc Val de Loire 2015 offers up an amplifying aroma of gooseberry, mineral, melon and herb. In the mouth, it delights the palate with a combination of ripe Sauvignon fruit, pinpoint minerality, and a crisp, long finish, all of which enliven the senses. It exits with a flourish, imparting a freshness and purity rarely seen at this level. Accessible and gratifying all at the same time, it’s hard to imagine a more classic Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc than Fournier’s 2015 Sauvignon Blanc Val de Loire.

Next in this month’s quartet is the bold flavored 2013 Carmen Gran Reserva Petite Sirah. Although Carmen is best known for Carmenère, the estate’s small production of Gran Reserva Petite Sirah steals the show. The 2013 Carmen Gran Reserva Petite Sirah highlights the grape’s bold purple color and entrancing aromatics, which begin with deep draughts of black cherry, raspberry and plum coupled with tantalizing touches of spice and vanilla. This Gran Reserva Petite Sirah follows through on the palate with an explosive mix of ripe berries, black fruits, and dark chocolate all wrapped in a patina of smooth new oak infused with hints of pepper. “Bold and beautiful,” Carmen’s Gran Reserva Petite Sirah never loses its balanced composure. Well-integrated fruit and tannins play off each other, nearly hiding the wine’s 14.5% alcohol and allowing the throat to quickly beg for more. We think you, too, will plead for more.

Rounding out this month’s diverse offerings is the newly released 2015 Casal Novo Godello, the progeny of the outstanding 2015 vintage in Spain’s Valdeorras region from one of Spain’s most sought-after white grape varieties. The youthful 2015 Casal Novo Godello shows its magic, beginning with a bright straw-colored robe, tantalizing aromatics, and beautiful fruit flavors that show exemplary texture. Clean and focused in its bouquet, the 2015 Casal Novo offers up savory scents of melon, white fruits, and wild herbs. Casal Novo’s vivacity continues on the palate, where white peach, melon, and subtle spice tones spread their welcome. The wine’s subtle minerality, born of the vineyards’ slate and chalk soils, lends vibrancy, balance and an overall sensual appeal. All this adds up to a delightfully fragrant, intense glass of Godello, a wine that sports a lengthy finish and tremendous palate appeal.

The International Wine of the Month Club’s Collectors Series is proud to offer three exciting Spanish wines this June. The 2012 Pasanau Los Torrents emanates from the serious, warm-hearted Albert Pasanau, who has a reputation for turning out bold reds. Most assuredly, Albert’s 2012 Los Torrents Priorat won’t disappoint. In classic Priorat fashion, the 2012 Los Torrents exudes a deep purple robe, an amplifying aroma and an intriguing array of explosive flavors to tantalize the senses. Redolent with the scents and savory flavors of ripe mulberries, forest woodlands, graphite, anise and other assorted spices, the 2012 Los Torrents hardly lacks for character. Add 15.5% alcohol for body and plenty of ripe tannins and no one will refute this wine’s extroverted personality. Yet, there is more to the 2012 Los Torrents than mere size and stature. With aeration, the wine’s youthful ardor coalesces into a seamless stream of complex, deep down flavors that just keep on flowing. An equal blend of 50% Garnacha and 50% Mazuelo (aka Carignan) from old vines, the 2012 Pasanau Los Torrents is majestic now, but in true Pasanau fashion the 2012 Los Torrents is in for the long haul.

Our next June Collectors Series offering, the 2015 Losada Vinos de Finca Bierzo Godello, is still an infant, yet it already amazes those fortunate enough to find a bottle of this very limited production. Losada’s Godello offers a bright straw-colored robe, tantalizing aromatics, and plenty of flavors in a balanced, harmonious format. Clean and focused in its bouquet with savory scents of lemon zest, white fruits, spice, and racy minerality, Losada’s 2015 Godello exhibits real sensual appeal. The wine’s vivacity continues on the palate, where white peach, melon, and subtle spice tones spread their welcome. All this goodness adds up to a delightfully fragrant, elegant, and hauntingly beautiful glass of white wine.

Completing this month’s Collectors Series is the sensual, complex 2014 Josep Grau La Florens Montsant. Only 216 cases of this wine were produced in 2014 from the estate’s 100 year old vines. The result is a Montsant of incomparable finesse and impeccable pedigree. The 2014 La Florens sports an alluring set of aromatics and flavors that offer a subtle but an entrancing array of forest woodlands, wild blackberries and exotic spices as well as a gentle deep down minerality that provides flavor as well as impeccable balance. Ripe but well-integrated tannins add structure and counterpoint to the tender aspects of this young wine, while La Florens’ year-long stay in large Stockinger oval barrels of Austrian oak allows the wine to retain its fruit, an incomparable freshness, and a certain suavity and complexity – attributes that are noticeably absent in lesser Montsants. Give this wine a bit of aeration and enjoy the ride.

Salud!
Don

Greek Lamb Burgers with Spinach and Red Onion Salad

by

This flavorful burger features a unique twist of using fresh mint and ground lamb. Serve it at your next dinner party with this month’s Collector’s Series wine Chapel Hill McLaren Vale Shiraz 2014.

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 1/3 pounds ground lamb
  • 4 hamburger buns or small ciabatta rolls
  • 1 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves
  • 1 1/3 cups crumbled feta cheese
  • 4 1/4-inch-thick red onion slices
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Preparation:

Mix first 4 ingredients and 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in medium bowl; mix in lamb. Shape into four 3/4-inch-thick patties. Cook patties in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 4 minutes per side for medium.

Meanwhile, preheat broiler. Broil buns until golden, about 2 minutes. Top each bun bottom with burger. Toss spinach, feta, onion, vinegar, and 11/2 tablespoons oil in bowl. Place salad atop burgers. Cover with bun tops, pressing firmly to compact.

Recipe by Bon Appétit Test Kitchen courtesy of www.epicurious.com.

The Glories of Syrah and Shiraz

by

While Cabernet-centric wine drinkers bemoan the demise of the affordable, quality Napa Valley Cabernet and wring their hands over the stratospheric prices for California’s top Cabernet Sauvignons, not to mention the virtual impossibility of procuring any of those Napa Valley icons, Syrah and its other New World sibling, Shiraz, are stealing the show. Although there are many different clones of Syrah and Shiraz (as there are for Cabernet, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and most other varietals) and culture, terroir, and winemakers’ choices account for varying flavors and styles, Syrah and Shiraz share the same DNA – fraternal twins at the very least, if not identical twins. More importantly, savvy red wine drinkers can count on extraordinary quality and a lot more bang for their buck from Syrah and Shiraz than Cabernet.

Syrah has been a staple in France’s Rhone Valley for centuries, if not millennia, and it has reigned as Australia’s hallmark varietal under the compellation Shiraz for as long as anyone living can remember, with the premier wine regions of Barossa, McLaren Vale and Margaret River continuing to craft profound, world-class Shiraz. Ben Glaetzer, Chapel Hill, Mr. Riggs, and Nugan are just a few of Australia’s finest and most consistent purveyors of Shiraz. And over the last two decades, Syrah has steadily gained traction in California, too, expanding rapidly in acreage and eliciting countless accolades for the burgeoning number of its clan that have gained favor for consistently over-delivering. Whether from Napa, Sonoma, or Santa Barbara’s Ballard Canyon, Syrah now more than ever gives Cabernet a run for its money in California. Look to the likes of Beckmen, Stolpman and Tierra y Mar for quality and value, with the latter perhaps California’s greatest value – a very reasonably priced Syrah that emanates from Sonoma’s Russian River and the hands of Douglas Danielak, one of California’s most sought-after winemakers. And let’s not forget the elegant, complex, downright stunning Syrahs from Chilean producer Casas del Bosque or the deep, rich Shiraz wines that flow from South Africa. What more bang for the buck can one ask for than Robertson’s Constitution Road Shiraz or one of Mary-Lou Nash’s Black Pearl Mischief Maker Shiraz? Enjoy the voyage of discovery!

Salud!
Don

Egg White Frittata with Lox and Arugula

by

Perfect for Mother’s Day Brunch, this simple yet elegant meal comes together in under 20 minutes and is sure to please Mom!

Ingredients

Directions

Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites until fluffy, about 30 seconds. Add the cream, lox, lemon zest, salt, and pepper.

In a 10-inch, ovenproof, nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the arugula and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the arugula has wilted, about 1 minute. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and stir to combine the ingredients. Cook, without stirring for 4 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until set, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Slide the frittata onto a platter. Using a serrated knife, cut the frittata into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis from www.foodnetwork.com.

What to Look For In May

by

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

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