Wine of the Week, October 26, 2014

MICHAEL POZZAN CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2010
KNIGHTS VALLEY, SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

By:  Ed "The Wine Guy"

This offering from Michael Pozzan satisfies fully the expectations one has of a Cabernet Sauvignon: deep color, good tannin* structure, moderate acidity, with aromas and flavors of plum, black cherry, black currant, dark spices, and cedar.

*Tannin: an acidic element naturally occurring in plants, seeds, bark, wood, leaves, and fruit skins; its taste is astringent: puckery, pungent. Grape tannin comes from the skins, seeds, and stems of a wine grape. Wine tannins are most commonly found in red wine, although white wines have tannins from being aged in wooden barrels. Red wines tend to have higher levels of tannins because of the extended contact of the solid matter of the grapes with the juice.

Wine of the Week, October 19, 2014

FEUDO MACCARI NERO D'AVOLA 2011
SICILY, ITALY

By:  Ed "The Wine Guy"

Believe it or not, there are over 10,000 varieties of wine grapes in the world. 10,000! And the average wine consumer may be familiar with and have tasted, perhaps, at most 10: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio (Gris), Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah (Shiraz), Zinfandel, Malbec, and Sangiovese (Chianti). How many more varieties can you add to this list? From its inception, the purpose of this Wine of the Week column was to present not only familiar varieties of wines, but also to introduce new varieties, such as Carmemere, from Chile, similar to Merlot, but with a layer of satisfying spice; Albarino, Spain's most popular and distinctively aromatic white wine; Torrontes, a white wine from Argentina, with subtle spice notes and floral bouquet; and Nero D'Avola, Sicily's most important and widely planted red grape. Feudo Maccari is rich, zesty, velvety, with aromas and flavors of cherry, raspberry, plum, black pepper, spice, smoke, and clove. It pairs well with puttanesca sauce (tomato sauce with anchovies, capers, and olives).

Wine of the Week, October 12, 2014

HIGH HOOK PINOT NOIR 2012
WILLAMETTE VALLEY, OREGON

By:  Ed "The Wine Guy" 

This Pinot Noir comes from a single, sustainably-farmed vineyard, which uses techniques that protect the environment and public health; no pesticides are used. It is medium-bodied, balanced, dry (not sweet, but fruity), with aromas and flavors of chocolate-covered cherries, raspberry, pomegranate (which I'm beginning to detect and appreciate more and more, especially in a Pinot Noir), plum, vanilla-cola, with just a hint of oak, and a long, smooth finish. See how many aromas and flavors you can detect. This is one of those wines that makes you smile and say yes.

Wine of the Week, October 5, 2014

HACIENDA LOPEZ DE HARO RIOJA RESERVA 2005 SPAIN

By:  Ed "The Wine Guy"

From north-central Spain comes this very satisfying red blend: 90% Tempranillo, 5% Garnacha (adds body and acidity), 5% Graciano (adds aromas). This wine is typical of the Rioja wine style which features oak as an essential component. The designation Riserva means that the wine has aged for at least three years, one of them in oak. The vintage is 2005, almost 10 years old, and I dare say that it will drink well for another 5 or more years. It is medium-bodied, concentrated, soft, exhibiting aromas and flavors of spicy dark fruit (black currants, plums), a touch of leather, and a hint of vanilla.

Wine of the Week, September 28, 2014

SEAN MINOR PINOT NOIR 2012
CENTRAL COAST, CALIFORNIA

By:  Ed "The Wine Guy" 

What a good vintage-year 2012 was in California, for both white and red wines! Even an average vintner made a better than average wine. This Sean Minor production is an affordable, everyday style wine, made from grapes selected from sites throughout the Central Coast region. The Pinot Noir grape is thin-skinned and hard to grow; it requires careful, attentive growers. Strange that it is thin-skinned and, yet, prefers to grow in cool regions: Burgundy, France; New Zealand; Oregon; certain areas of California. The grape may be grown in warmer climates, and the wine that is produced may even taste good, but it does not have the classic aromas and flavors of Pinot Noir. This wine is medium-bodied, exhibits aromas and flavors of cherry cola, raspberry, and strawberry, with a hint of spice, and with sweet oak that leads to a lingering finish.