Ramazzotti Zin-Giovese Rosé, Dry Creek Valley - This popular wine offers a surprisingly big and fresh nose, it has been said that smelling this wine is like walking through a field of wild strawberries. For 2008 the wine is drier than in prior years, a little hungrier for food perhaps. Consider enjoying it with fried calamari, fruit and cheese, or an egg-salad sandwich; it is certainly a refreshing treat around the pool or patio as summer approaches and unfolds.
Ensueños Tropicales Pinot Noir 2006 Muñequita Linda, Russian River Valley - We are very excited about the latest addition to the Locals winery lineup. The debut wine from this enticing new brand revels in the by-now classic Russian River flavor profile, built on brighter, red cherry flavors. Fruit-forward, it is also exquisitely balanced with solid tannins on the finish, and is eminently sippable today!
Peterson 2006 Sangiovese & 2005 Il Granaio Super-Tuscan, Dry Creek Valley - The first wine is a delightful expression of the lighter side of Tuscany's famed grape, made with 100% Sangiovese grape varietal. Aromas of cherry with hints of earthiness offer an alluring entry. With its firm acids and nuanced flavors,
this Sangiovese fits perfectly into the food-friendly category. Terrific with a lighter marinara or pasta primavera!
The other face of Italian Chianti wines is blended, what we call the "Super-Tuscan style" here in California. While 14% Cabernet Sauvignon adds more backbone and structure to this wine, the delightful sweet nature of the Sangiovese grape still shines through brilliantly. Try adding steak next to the pasta and marinara to create a winning trio with this elegant wine. Very enjoyable now, in this style, the Il Granaio is also quite a bit more age-worthy.
Eric Ross Rockin' Rooster Port - 2006 marked the first year where Cabernet Sauvignon from the Bonino Vineyard was used to make this port. This distinctive wine is still made in a lighter style, bringing complexity and maturity to California dessert wine, which rarely gets the extensive aging common to its European counterparts. Flavors of mocha and spicy dark plum are artfully blended to bright raspberry undertones, and perfectly balanced to a kiss of sweetness. Pair to your favorite chocolate sweetie!
Buy these wines and store a few. Last night I drank my last 1999 Hawley Merlot (Bradford Mtn). I bought it a few years ago and have saved it, setting it aside many times when I was tempted to drink it. It was fresh! It was delicious! It was a great example of the '99 vintage - stony, smoky tobacco wafting light cherry fruit over hints of distant freshly turned soil. Another example: The Hawley 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon. It is MUCH better now than it was when it was released. And yet another - the Feeney Ranch Zinfandel from Eric Ross - I bought the 2002, it was good when it came out so kept buying more 'til it was gone and it kept getting better with age. Now I'm on my last bottle of the 2005 FRZ and have three of the '06 in the cellar. Zin's don't improve as much as Bordeaux varietals, but they do improve through that 3 to 5 year age period. Try it, you'll like it.
Posted by: Jay Oliver | September 21, 2009 at 03:08 PM