Monthly Archives: August 2013

2011 Tapena Tempranillo

21 Wednesday Aug 2013

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Notes from the Winemaker:
The quintessential red wine grape from Spain, Tempranillo (temp-rah-NEE-yo), the little early one, adapts well to varied growing conditions. We think of this Tempranillo as Pinot Noir in blue jeans.

Tasting Notes
Intense ruby red colour with violet-blue undertones characteristic of young red wines. This is a classic Tempranillo, showing intense flavors of earth, plums and violets over a hint of orange peel. It is full and luscious in the palate, rich in ripe fruits and fine tannins, with a great balance and lingering finish.

Food Pairings
Tapeña Tempranillo is truly a food-friendly wine pairing well with a broad spectrum of dishes. Try it with paella, grilled lamb skewers, garlic prawns and broiled salmon.

Accolades
Best Buy – Wine Enthusiast, July 2012
Gold Medal – 2011 Monterey Wine Competition

Analysis
Appellation: Tierra de Castilla, Spain

Composition: 100% Tempranillo
Acidity: 3.3 g/L
Alcohol: 14%
Vintage: 2011
– See more at: http://www.tapenawines.com/tempranillo-spanish-wines.html#sthash.EtkkBuM6.dpuf

My thoughts:
I was surprised at the deep deep red of this wine as I poured it. So dark I couldn’t see my fingers wrapped around the opposite side of the glass. I took a deep sniff and was greeted with a strong yet pleasant blend of super ripe grapes, spices, plums and a slight hint of citrus. The first sip brought…hang on…the first couple of sips….wait a minute…the first half a glass had strong notes of freshly picked fruits with a hint of…give me a second…what is that?! I can’t quite figure out what that lingering flavor is in the finish. But it has a very flavorful finish that lingers without being overpowering.

I initially paired this with penne in a homemade summer vegetable sauce. Freshly picked zucchini, heirloom tomatoes, summer squash, fresh garlic and extra virgin olive oil with a touch of cane sugar. When I finished off the bottle I found it also paired well with some Tangy Zangy Twisties – Sour Wild Fruit Gummy candy. Judge all you want. I love gummy candy.

On a scale of “this tastes like piss” to “oops, I just drank the whole bottle” I would give this a “It still bothers me that I can’t quite pinpoint those last couple of flavors, but this is quite tasty and easy to drink. A little bold for the beginning red wine drinker, but for someone who is rapidly learning to love reds, a definite try.” Would I buy it again? I’d pick up another bottle.

Final Grade: A-

Advertisement

Wine Dictionary: #1.2 Bacchus

13 Tuesday Aug 2013

Posted by in Dictionary

≈ Leave a comment

Time for the next installment of the wine dictionary.  This term doesn’t particularly describe wine elements, but I found it to be an interesting term.

Bacchus – The Roman god of wine, known as Dionysus in ancient Greece; a hybrid white grape from Germany.

Random fact: Dionysus was the name of one of my favorite low-key bars here in Baltimore.  Sadly, it has closed its doors for good as of a few months ago.  If you happen to be in Baltimore and find yourself in Mt. Vernon, City Cafe and Waterstone have relatively impressive, yet affordable wine lists.

Wine Dictionary: #1.1 Accessible (New Series!)

03 Saturday Aug 2013

Posted by in Dictionary

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

,

So I’ve had a number of people ask me about some particular wine terms that they have come across when looking for new wines to try out. I thought this would be a great opportunity to throw a little education in and share some wine terminology from A-Z. Let’s see how many times we can make it through the alphabet!

Accessible – A wine that is easy to drink without an overwhelming sense of tannin, acidity or extract. Easy to drink, ready to enjoy. May imply unexpected readiness in a wine that usually requires aging.

2010 Gracenote Carneros/Sonoma County Pinot Noir

01 Thursday Aug 2013

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Wine Club Notes:

2010 Gracenote Carneros/Sonoma County Pinot Noir

This nicely concentrated wine offers notes of red cherry, red berries, cocoa, coffee, charred wood, toast and lavender.

The name of this wine was inspired by composer Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach.

In the world of music, a grace note is an ornament or embellishment to a composition that’s “not only useful, but indispensable. They connect the notes,; they give them life. They emphasize them, and illustrate the sentiments, be they sad or merry. The best melody without them may seem obscure and meaningless.”

In the world of wine, the concept can be applied to the specific grapes utilized, the type of vessels used for aging, and the length of aging prior to bottling and release. For the 2010 Gracenote Pinot Noir, winemaker Reed Renaudin selected grapes from two vineyards in the Carneros area of Sonoma County, and then aged the cuvee in a mix of French and Hungarian oak barrels.

The wine is perfectly balanced, nicely concentrated, and both floral and fruitful. In a word, it’s a wine that truly is inspired.

About Pinot Noir

Very sensitive to climate and handling in winery, this fickle grape of Burgundy yields low tannin and acidity, medium colors and lifespan. Classic berry, cherry and currant flavors, silky textures typically balanced with spicy or floral tones.

  • Grape Composition:100% Pinot Noir
  • Grape Source:Carneros Growing Area of Southern Sonoma County
  • Aromas & Flavors:Red Cherry, Red Berries, Cocoa, Coffee, Charred Wood, Toast and a Hint of Lavender
  • Aging Vessels:French and Hungarian Oak Barrels (30% First Use) for 20 Months
  • When to Drink:Now Through 2016
  • Food Pairing Suggestiongrilled salmon, or a mushroom pizza.

My Thoughts:

This particular bottle of wine was chosen to drink while watching the cinematic masterpiece Sharknado.  One of those campy ultra cheesy horror flicks that are so awful that it’s hilarious and you can’t help but love it by the end.  But anyway…While pouring the first glass I was greeted with subtle, yet pleasant aromas of black currant, dark berries and campfire.  Based on smell alone I was already excited that this was going to be a pretty good wine.  Then, the first sip.  Well hello there!  A full bodied set of flavors, but none of it overpowering or any of the individual flavors stronger than the others.  I was surprised how light the mouthfeel was with this wine.  With such a powerful set of flavors it was surprisingly light and easy to drink.  Sometimes I find Pinot Noirs to be very heavy feeling.  This is definitely one of the better Pinot Noirs I’ve had in quite some time.  (I would have better details but for one, I forgot to take notes the other night while drinking this.  And then, I was slightly distracted by sharks flying through the air by way of tornado.)

This paired well with a white pizza with fresh tomatoes.  I’m sure it would have gone well with cheese, but I can definitely vouch that it paired quite nicely with cheesy movies.  I mean, it’s a movie where sharks eat people while being flung to land by a natural disaster.  I found a solid red wine to be appropriate…then again whites typically pair well with seafood.  Hmm…

On a scale of “this tastes like piss” to “oops, I just drank the whole bottle” I would give this a “Katie and I finished this with no problem and probably could have gone for another glass each if we hadn’t already finished off the bottle” Would I buy it again? Hell yes.  I’d even drink it without watching a bad movie!

Final Grade: A