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Wine of the Week, February 01, 2015

CENTINE ROSSO TOSCANA 2013
CASTELLO BANFI ESTATE
MONTALCINO, ITALY


By:  Ed "The Wine Guy" 


It's time to revisit Centine, a delightful, everyday red wine, which I have previously reviewed in this column. I would rather be revisiting Tuscany itself, and driving up the long driveway to the magnificent Banfi Castle. I know that the popular saying is: See Naples and die, but I prefer to say: See Tuscany and die. Centine, 60% Sangiovese (the Chianti grape), 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Merlot, is an elegant but inexpensive wine. It is well-made and nicely balanced, no one element dominating. It is young and fresh, with aromas and flavors of berries, plum, and spicy black currant, and with a hint of smoke. A perfect accompaniment with pasta dishes with red sauce, and with eggplant parmesan. Ah, Tuscany!

Wine of the Week, January 18, 2015

CHILENSIS LAZULI RED BLEND 2011
MAULE VALLEY, CHILE


By:  Ed "The Wine Guy"


Red Blends have become increasingly popular, but they are not a new phenomenon. The red Bordeaux wines of France have always been blended, mainly of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, but also in lesser amounts of Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot, each contributing a distinguishing characteristic. (England calls red Bordeaux wine Claret, a word used in a recent episode of Downton Abbey.)  To create a red blend, the grapes of the different varietals are fermented and aged together OR each varietal is fermented and aged independently, and then blended. If I were a vintner, I would use the latter method in order to get the maximum of flavor from each varietal. Lazuli 2011 uses that method. The wine is medium-bodied, and easy drinking, as most reds from Chile seem to be, exhibiting aromas and flavors of blackberry, chocolate, herbs, and hints of vanilla.

Wine of the Week, enTycement Red Blend 2012 Ty Caton Vineyard Sonoma, California



By "Ed the Wine Guy"

enTycement Red Blend 2012 Ty Caton Vineyard Sonoma, California. 37% Zinfandel, 15 Petit Syrah, 14 Syrah, 14 Merlot, 13 Cabernet Sauvignon, 7 Petit Verdot. With a dark purple color, enTycement opens with aromas of blackberry and boysenberry (a cross between raspberry and blackberry) followed by flavors of rich, dark fruit notes and a touch of chocolate; it has a lush mouth-feel. The smooth, lingering finish - one of the longest finishes that I have ever experienced; it just never quits - is accentuated with a touch of spice.