Wine Blog from The International Wine of the Month Club

20 DIY Wine Cork Christmas Ornaments

November 14, 2018 by Kristina Manning

With the holidays in full swing, we here at The International Wine of the Month Club™ decided to pull out our stash of wine corks (we tend to have quite a few by the end of the year) and make some Christmas tree ornaments. With a little imagination, some crafting supplies, and help from some of our kids, we were able to make quite a few fun and unique tree ornaments!

Here are our 20 favorite Christmas tree wine cork ornaments, as well as a few that the kids made for us:

A big thank you to our helpers Lizzy and Emily!

What to Look for in October

October 26, 2018 by Don Lahey

In October, The International Wine of the Month Club’s Premier Series will feature an exceptional red Bordeaux wine from the outstanding 2016 vintage, Château Tour de Gilet, and three other superb selections from around the world. A traditional blend of primarily Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from the magnificent 2016 vintage, the 2016 Château Tour de Gilet truly shines. Bolder and richer in flavor than one might expect from a Petit Château, the 2016 Château Tour de Gilet offers up an inviting bouquet of blackcurrant, cranberry and forest floor. In the mouth, a delightful mélange of berry flavors (blackberry and currant), dark cherry and damsel plum make a delightful appearance on a wave of silky tannins. Nicely balanced and endowed with traditional Bordeaux character and style, one would be hard pressed to find a better, more affordable Petit Château than the 2016 Château Tour de Gilet.

Our next Premier Series feature is the 2014 Cambridge Cellars CCR Carneros Chardonnay. Since its inception, Cambridge Cellars has consistently over-delivered on quality, and this month’s feature is no exception. The 2014 Cambridge Cellars CCR Carneros Chardonnay offers a tantalizing bouquet of spring flowers and buttered brioche along with just the right touches of vanilla and caramelized oak. The wine’s aromatics flow through on the palate, too, offering a complex mélange of fruit, lemon curd, freshly baked croissants and toasted almonds. “Hedonism in a glass,” remarked several members of the tasting panel. Add a nice citrus twist, superb texture, and a gracefully long finish to this wine’s delightful repertoire and it is difficult to imagine a better Chardonnay from California or France for less than $50.00 than the 2014 Cambridge Cellars CCR Carneros Chardonnay.

Next in this month’s quartet is the 2008 Monasterio de las Viñas Reserva, a 10 year old Reserva from Spain. A blend of Garnacha (50%), Tempranillo (25%) and Cariñena (25%), the perfectly mature 2008 Monasterio de las Viñas Reserva offers layers of smooth, mouthwatering flavors. Lightly scented with the aromas of blackberry, plum, violet, finely tanned leather and unsmoked tobacco, this wine draws you in almost surreptitiously. In the mouth, the wine is smooth and expansive, offering well-integrated fruit, leather, cedar, and cigar box flavors born of a 12 month hiatus in oak. Reminiscent of mature Rioja Reserva, the 2008 Monasterio de las Viñas Reserva offers plenty of flavors before finishing with mouthwatering acidity from fine-grained tannins.

Completing this month’s Premier Series offerings is the delicious 2017 Estampa Fina Reserva Sauvignon Blanc, a wine every bit as compelling as the estate’s Fina Reserva red wines. The 2017 Estampa Fina Reserva Sauvignon Blanc is an artful blend of predominantly Sauvignon Blanc with small amounts of Chardonnay and Viognier. The addition of Chardonnay adds texture and mouth feel, while Viognier augments the wine’s already attractive aroma: citrus scents mingle with herbal tones and freshly cut grass, offering a delightful perfume that goes far beyond what one expects from Sauvignon Blanc alone. In the mouth, the wine’s generous tropical fruit flavors and fresh acidity come to fore, providing both counterpoint and refreshment.

The International Wine of the Month Club’s Collectors Series is proud to offer three exceptional wines in October from opposite ends of the world, beginning with the stunning 2015 Chapel Hill McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon from a winery that consistently garners 90+ points for its wines and continues to over-deliver with each successive vintage. The deeply colored 2015 Chapel Hill McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon offers an impressive array of savory Cabernet aromas: a core of refined blackberry and cassis infused with hints of wild herbs and eucalyptus—not unlike many of Joe Heitz’s legendary Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons of yesteryear—seduces the nose and seeps deliciously into the marrow of this wine. Medium to full-bodied, the boldly flavored 2015 McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon possesses superb balance, polish, and texture, which allows it to drink beautifully now while remaining capable of further maturation and 10 or more years of pleasurable drinking.

Our next October Collectors Series offering, the 2015 Josef Chromy Tasmania Chardonnay, is one of the finest Chardonnays made south of the equator. It is rare that any New World Chardonnay tastes like Puligny-Montrachet or can stand qualitatively with Puligny-Montrachet, one of France’s greatest white wines from Burgundy, but Josef Chromy’s 2015 Josef Chromy Tasmania Chardonnay does resemble Premier Cru white Burgundy and, yes, it does taste a lot like Puligny-Montrachet. The 2015 Josef Chromy offers up a brilliant robe, savory scents and flavors of stone fruits, citrus, crisp mountain apples, freshly baked bread, and hints of exotic spices refined by a light patina of vanilla from the finest of oak barrels. Yet the most endearing aspects of this wine may be its lithe and engaging flavors and superb texture, which come wrapped in one seamless and supremely elegant package. Like fine Puligny-Montrachet, the 2015 Josef Chromy Chardonnay relies on elegance and finesse more than power to charm its adherents. Josef Chromy’s 2015 Chardonnay is already quite exceptional now, but if past vintages and experience with Chromy’s Chardonnays are any indication, the 2015 Josef Chromy Chardonnay will continue to improve in bottle for at least several more years.

Completing this month’s Collectors Series is the 2015 Château Paveil de Luze Margaux from the outstanding 2015 Bordeaux vintage. This wine reflects the renovation and attention afforded this historic property by renowned wine consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt and the late Frédéric de Luze. The 2015 Château Paveil de Luze is not only a sleeper of the great 2015 Bordeaux vintage, it is potentially the finest wine produced at this property in more than half a century (91 Points – Wine Enthusiast). The 2015 Château Paveil de Luze is a deeply colored wine with impressive fruit, texture, and body. Ripe and generous, it displays plenty of blackberry and plum flavors infused with tobacco and Margaux’s pleasant distinctive earthiness. Backed by ripe, substantial tannins, the 2015 Château Paveil de Luze is a wine to lay down in classic Margaux fashion as such patience yields huge dividends. Enjoy!

The 2015 and 2016 Bordeaux Vintages Are Not to Be Missed

October 19, 2018 by Don Lahey

In some wine regions of the world, the quality of wine varies little from year to year. The reason is that the weather in some wine regions remains fairly consistent and predictable. This is particularly true in areas with Mediterranean climates. In other wine lands, such as Bordeaux, vintage means everything. The weather in Bordeaux varies enormously throughout the growing season and from one year to the next, and because weather largely determines the quality of the vintage and the resulting wine, vintage speaks volumes in the most hallowed of French appellations.

The adage in Bordeaux is June makes the quantity, August the style, and September the quality. If the flowering and subsequent berry set go well in June, growers can look forward to a bumper crop. And by August, the vignerons know roughly what to expect in style. But it’s September and, to a lesser extent, October that ultimately determine how good the Bordeaux wines will be, particularly the reds, based largely on the amount and frequency of rain that falls during those months. If a tropical depression sweeps in from the Atlantic, all bets will be off. With this said, Bordeaux has enjoyed two of the finest back to back vintages in recent memory in 2015 and 2016, and neither should be missed.

Not only is quality superb top to bottom from Grand Crus to Petits Châteaux in 2015 and 2016, subsequent vintages can hardly match this dynamic duo. Although the resulting wines are different in style, each of these vintages enjoyed ideal weather in September and October. Consequently, 2015 and 2016 produced a bevy of exciting and downright profound wines, with the red wines surpassing those even in the heretofore exceptional 2009 and 2010 vintages. Consequently, I’m putting as many 2015 and 2016 red Bordeaux in my cellar as I can afford because Bordeaux doesn’t get much better than the wines of these two vintages and neither 2017 nor 2018 can match what 2015 and 2016 have to offer.

Salud!
Don

What to look for in September

September 28, 2018 by Don Lahey

In September, The International Wine of the Month Club’s Premier Series is proud to offer four exceptional wines from around the world. The first wine in this series is the 2016 The Princess & The Peasant Mendocino Pinot Noir from renowned winemaker Roger Scommegna. Scommegna’s 2016 Princess & The Peasant Pinot Noir from Signal Ridge Vineyard marries several of the finest Pinot Noir clones (Dijon 115, Wadenswil 2A, and Mariafeld 23) into a sophisticated, intense Burgundian style wine. Hauntingly aromatic with the savory scents of mountain berries, lavender and violets, the bouquet alone of this Pinot Noir is worth the price of admission. In the mouth, the wine’s bold aromatics explode on the palate, offering rich dark fruit flavors, floral notes, mineral and spice all carried on the silkiest of tannins. Balanced, beautiful and well-endowed, the 2016 Princess & The Peasant Signal Ridge Pinot Noir is made to please.

Our next Premier Series feature is the 2016 Boccadigabbia Pecorino from Italy’s Marche. The product of the rare Pecorino grape, which is indigenous to Italy’s Marche, Boccadigabbia’s 2016 Pecorino cuts a splendid figure in the glass, with a bright sparkling color and pronounced aromatics. It is even more intriguing on the palate where it unleashes a multitude of flavors, backed by bright acidity and an elegant, delectable tang that sets it apart from white wines from more common grape varieties. In fact, nothing about Boccadigabbia or the Marche’s beloved Pecorino comes across as ordinary. Dry, crisp, and refreshing as an afternoon sea breeze, the 2016 Boccadigabbia Pecorino offers up savory citrus scents and flavors that mingle with fruit and floral tones as well as hints of caraway and the nearby sea. Energetic and fresh, this medium-bodied white wine drinks well now, yet promises several more years of delightful drinking.

Next in this month’s quartet is the outstanding 2015 Black Pearl Oro from South Africa’s Western Cape. A blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon and 42% Shiraz, the 2015 Black Pearl Oro emanates from a pristine vineyard located in the most beautiful wine country on earth. Deep in color, concentrated in flavor and beautifully structured, Oro is indeed liquid gold. Proprietor Mary Lou Nash picks the grapes by hand for Oro, ferments them in an open tank, gently basket presses them, and then ages her precious gem in barrel for one year. Scents of blackberry and mulberry, subtle earth tones, and hints of aromatic herbs waft from the glass before seeping into the marrow of this brooding red to delight the palate. Although bold-flavored and well-structured, the 2015 Black Pearl Oro also exhibits plenty of charm, making it easy to drink and just as easy to forget that it contains 15% alcohol by volume. Pure, bold, and extremely focused, the 2015 Black Pearl Oro reflects the energy, disarming charm, and total commitment of Mary-Lou Nash, Black Pearl’s co-owner, winemaker, viticulturist and one woman marketing group.

Rounding out this month’s diverse offerings is the 2016 Downes Family Vineyards Sanctuary Peak Sauvignon Blanc, which is no ordinary Sauvignon Blanc. Similar to the finest white Bordeaux, it contains no less than seven different blocks of Sauvignon Blanc planted on soils rich in mineral quartz crystals, as well as 10% Semillon that is fermented with wild yeasts and aged three months in new French oak. The result is a brightly colored wine that shows tremendous complexity to complement its pungent fruit and herb flavors. Citrus and melon flavors make their appearance, too, along with a hint of capsicum. A fresh bit of acidity provides refreshment and adds to the wine’s long, lingering finish.

The International Wine of the Month Club’s Collectors Series is proud to offer three superlative wines in September beginning with the 2015 Domaine Pierre Usseglio Lirac, a tour de force in winemaking from the ancient Lirac appellation across the Rhône River from Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Deep and rich in aroma, color, and flavor, Pierre Usseglio’s 2015 Lirac offers up an enticing bouquet of ripe black cherries, kirsch, garrigue and fine-grained leather. In the mouth, the wine’s heady aromas coalesce on the palate in a seamless blend of fruit, earth, and spice that keeps on giving long after the wine has slipped down the throat. Balanced and fresh with ripe tannins, Pierre Usseglio’s 2015 Lirac offers everything most Châteauneuf-du-Papes have to offer and more.

Our next September Collectors Series offering, the 2016 Luca G Lot Tupengato Chardonnay, is a Chardonnay that could easily be mistaken for a top-notch Premier Cru white Burgundy from Meursault or Puligny-Montrachet. Grown in well-drained limestone rich soil at 4,900 feet in the isolated Gualtallary (hence the name G Lot) district of Mendoza’s Uco Valley, Luca’s G Lot Chardonnay possesses the purity, panache, and precision one craves in great Chardonnay, beginning with a bright straw color and an entrancing bouquet. Lemon cream, tropical fruits, spiced pear and a racy minerality tantalize the nose. In the mouth, white peach, pear, baking spices and deft hints of hazelnut emerge to delight the palate. The elegant, medium-bodied 2016 G Lot fills the mouth and enlivens the senses with a delightful mélange of succulent Chardonnay fruit as well as an intriguing cornucopia of mineral and spice flavors. Elegant, flavorful and endowed with impeccable balance, G Lot’s bright acidity and understated oak tones ideally frame the wine yet never dominate. Luca’s G Lot Chardonnay truly underscores Laura Catena’s commitment to quality and Argentina’s ability to fashion world-class white wine as well as red wine.

Completing this month’s Collectors Series is the critically acclaimed 2015 Pierre Usseglio Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Garnering 92 points from Wine Advocate and 93 points from James Suckling, Pierre Usseglio’s 2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape emanates from the outstanding 2015 vintage in the Southern Rhône Valley and offers everything one hopes to find in classic Châteauneuf-du-Pape: color, aroma, depth of flavor, power, warmth and rustic charm. One can also expect more than a bit of polish and freshness in this wine. Ripe raspberry and dark cherry fruit aromas entertain the nose, while deep berry flavors, crushed herbs, garrigue, and hints of spice and wood smoke fill the mouth and permeate the senses. Ripe, round tannins and a pleasant freshness carry the wine’s fruit and mineral elements to a long, pleasing conclusion. Enjoy!

America’s Love Affair with Pinot Noir

September 24, 2018 by Don Lahey

America is in love with Pinot Noir, but it wasn’t exactly love at first sight. A generation ago, Pinot Noir was the proverbial step child of American grape growers, an afterthought and an anomaly at best. Only a few stalwart visionaries like André Tchelistcheff of BV vineyards dared to plant France’s most coveted, yet often mercurial, grape variety in California. And frankly, those early attempts yielded less than exciting results.

Today, Pinot Noir’s fortunes have changed. Pinot Noir is all the rage, not only in America but around the world where it stands at the pinnacle of the world’s grape varieties, but it is not because the planet’s other favored varietals (Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Sangiovese, and Tempranillo to name a few) are incapable of greatness; rather Pinot Noir is the rare grape variety that is capable of being transformed annually into the planet’s most complex red wines as well as the most exquisite rosé, still, and sparkling wines.

Although Pinot Noir was born in Burgundy a millennium before Cabernet Sauvignon made its appearance in Bordeaux, it now thrives in Champagne, California, Oregon, and in rare hallowed parcels across the planet in addition to its native Burgundy. However, the difficult to grow and often unforgiving Pinot Noir varietal demands attention, a cool, temperate climate, and a deft hand in the cellar. When all stars align, Pinot Noir yields light to full-bodied wines of stunning aromatics, depth, and length of flavor. Moreover, good Pinot Noir can age gracefully for as long as any wine when stored properly. Not surprisingly, it also yields the world’s most expensive wine on average, which makes it all the more attractive to collectors and a growing legion of admirers.

Salud!
Don

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