South near the border of Texas and Mexico in a little town called Eagle Pass.  I went to some store called HEB, and found an interesting red wine that I had not tried before.  Not sure what HEB stands for, but lets just say, don't go after dark.

The wine is called Trio from Concha Y Toto.  It is from the Rapel Valley in Chile.  It's price point is only about $12-13 in Texas, but they think they don't have taxes on anything in this state and everything Texas does is perfect... I don't think those people have ever been to Eagle Pass.  They might want to start charging taxes on all that big hair to make up for things in this town.

This attractive deep purple and generous assemblage constitutes and expressive wine of soft and velvety tannins with intese aromas of black fruits like black plums and blueberry.

 

The blend is 70% Merlot + 15% Carmenere + 15% Cabernet Sauvignon

From the attractive blend of Merlot, Carmenere and Cabernet Sauvignon, this assemblage of red grapes produces an expressive deep red wine with soft tannins and great structure. It also has dark fruit, chocolate, and tobacco aromas.  See more on the website at www.trioconchaytoro.com.  Try it some evening with some great appetizers or small plates.

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Sequoia Grove Cabernet - NAPA Valley

The best thing about this wine is that I got to share it on my first visit to the Lone Star State with two great friends.  The state that believes the other 49 don't exisit.  The state that thinks red, white, and blue are for Texas. 



Dark black purple in color, the nose gives an immediate aroma of dark, smoky chocolate, leading into ripe blackberries and sweet cherries with notes of clove, vanilla and cocoa powder. The palate is smooth and rich with ripe, developed tannins giving the wine a full arc in the mouth and giving flavors of blackberry and a hint of smoky, sweet oak.

Enjoy this wine at your next dinner or share it with family or friends.  You can view other selections on their website at www.sequoiagrove.com.

Finally a White - J. Lohr Estates Chardonnay

While I just love my big and bold reds, I have been tasting a lot more whites lately.  The 2011 J. Lohr Estates Chardonnay is one of this wineries vintages in the last twenty years.  There was above-average rainfall and unseasonably cool summers that produced an outstanding varietal. 

The Chardonnay shows ripe apple, citrus, and nectarine flavors with high levels of natural grape acidity.  By incorporating higher levels of malolactic fermentation to balance the acidity, they created a wine with intense vatietal character, palate weight and palate-cleansing acidity. 

WINEMAKER'S COMMENTS
This elegant Chardonnay has an attractive pale strawyellow color. The aromas are of nectarine, pear and apple, combined with a perfumed roasted hazelnut and butterscotch bouquet from the barrel fermentation and sur lie aging. The flavors are very soft with ripe pear, tangelo citrus and vanilla toastiness, producing layers of complexity with a silky balance of fresh fruit acidity and palate weight.
—Jeff Meier, Winemaker

FOOD PAIRINGS
Pair with dishes such as lobster pappardelle with chive butter, grilled late summer vegetables and creamy butternut squash soup.

WINE LIST DESCRIPTION
A full-bodied Chardonnay with a balance of fruit and oak toastiness and a palate-cleansing acidity.


Visit their website at www.jlohr.com

 

Appellation	Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, CA
Composition (Blend)	100% Chardonnay
Harvest dates	September 26 - November 4, 2011
Brix at harvest	24.3°
Vinification
Malolactic	50% in barrel
Maturation	Aged 8 to 10 months in barrels from new to fourth fill. Barrels were stirred every two weeks until pump-out
Barrel type	American, Hungarian and French oak
Bottling chemistries
pH	3.57
Total acidity	0.67
Alcohol	13.55
Residual Sugar	0.39%
Cellaring	Drink now, or cellar up to 5 years