The Handsome Cab Wine Blog

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

A few articles to read

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

FlipSide PA - PA Red Wines

Check out the link from my article in FlipsidePA.com

http://www.flipsidepa.com/spirits/ci_27550432/dont-be-snob-try-sip-local-red

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

GMS not GSM, but close - Finding a new blend from a new friend

A new friend of mine found this wine locally and loved it and I wanted to share with all of you. This is a Chairman's Selection at your local Wine and Spirits Shop in Pennsylvania. Outside of PA, ask your local store or Total Wine if you have one for it. It is only $14.99 a bottle here.

Usually GSM stands for Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre blend from the Rhone Valley in France, but those Aussies are making this with Shiraz.

E&M Schild wine created this blend from winemakers Scott Hazeldine an Alex MacClelland and the vintage is 2013. The alcohol content is 14.5% and the grapes were grown in a red clay over limestone soil. to this wine.

This blend is 47% Grenache 27% Mourvedre and 26% Shiraz and is from the Barossa Valley Region of Australia. Using these blended wines showcase a unique quality that ensure balance, purity of fruit and drinkability. The color is a dark cherry or ruby red. with fruited aromas of fresh cherries, red currant and raspberries combine with some blue frit notes before a hint of a stony minerality and subtle notes of pepper, spice, lavender, and herb. This wine has delicate soft tannins that lead you to a velvety feel to the wine.

Get out today and try some.

Winemaker Notes: 2013 saw warm and dry conditions throughout most of the growing season, but without any significant periods of severe heat. Yields were low and many red varieties ripened evenly, with great flavor depth and some firm prominent tannins which have softened well during maturation. As a result, many of the wines from the year show great structure and framing when young and look to have the ability to genuinely age well too.

Here is video I found on YouTube you can check out... so cool https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V-1cyswxBA#t=16.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Great time for Italian - Collefrisio Montepulciano

I had a friend over for dinner on Sunday as we were picking out wine glasses that we would utilize for The Handsome Cab. I think we had about 30 sample glasses. I purchased this wine at the state store for our Holiday Happening this Saturday and she came with a bottle of this in hand as well. I guess great minds think alike. I enjoyed it enjoy enough to run back to Eastern Blvd and pick up a few more bottles. This is a Chairman's Selection and is only $9.99 per bottle. We really enjoyed the wine, but what we found is that you really should decant this wine. It needs about 30 minutes of being open before drinking it. It really adds to the flavor.

The wine has a dark ruby red color and violet hues with an intense nose of berries, spice and black cherry jam. It is well balanced and has an excellent structure. It contains about 13.5% alcohol and consists of 100% Montepulciano d'Abruzzo grapes. It is a DOC by Italian designation. Even though it doesn't have the higher DOCG, don't be afraid of this wine as it is a great tasty red wine from Italy.

This wine is made by 3rd generation winemakers in the foothills of Frisa in Abruzzo. I hope you enjoy this wine as much as we did. Check the Wine and Spirits shop on Eastern Blvd in York or Shrewsbury for this. You never know how long they will have it.

Friday, November 21, 2014

2009 French Bordeaux, is so nice. RUN now and pick up a bottle.

I picked up this bottle at the state store last night and enjoyed several glasses while working on a project for our art gallery called the Cab Gallery that will open next year. It is only $14.99. I suggest you hurry and pick a few bottles up because I am headed back for more of this today. It isn't available online, I already tried that. I suggest calling the stores first for this one.

Prices for Bordeaux wines continue on the rise and with 2009 a banner year, I would suggest you run quickly and pick up a bottle of this wine. It is amazing for the price. France has seen demand rise so much for their wines because of guess................drum roll............ CHINA. They are buying up large wines, but what I find interesting is that they also lie, cheat and steel. Just like software they pirate wine and put crappy wine in bottles with copied labels and sell for very expensive wines and hey, get away with it. It is really unbelievable.

This wine comes from the Puisseguin Saint-Emilion Region of France. It is located on the right bank and like many other Bordeaux wines from 2009, it is a great vintage. The blend of this Bordeaux is 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet. Not the typical blend of a Bordeaux, but a great wine indeed. With Merlot based red it displays the aromas of cedar, cherry, currant, and cassis with a bit of plum and blueberry.

The vines used to grow this wine are more than 45 years old. Puisseguin-Saint-Émilion is one of the so-called “satellites” of Saint-Émilion, home of some of Bordeaux's most famous producers. But the “satellite” wines carry price tags significantly lower and represent especially good values in solid vintages such as 2009.
The palate of the wine is expanse and very polished with a silky smooth finish. I really enjoyed this, I know it won't be around for more than a few days.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

French Cuvee "G" Amazing - Try it today

Domaine Le Colombier Vacqueyras Cuvee G 2007

This evening I wanted a treat and I went to the local wine store and it didn't take me long to find one.

After opening the bottle I noticed the deep intense color and said to myself - YUM.

This wine is a Grenache and Syrah and is 14.5% alcohol
from the Rhone region in France.

The bouquet is very complex with flowers and ripe dark fruits. With A harmonious touch of vanilla. Finely balanced, the cuvee G show silky tannins and well balanced with an exceptional length. It would go great with spicy food, lamb, and/or something with rosemary.

It is soooo smooth and luxurious. Worth every penny. I think I paid $24.99 a bottle. Wine Spectator rated this wine #39 of the top 100 for the year 2010.

Get some today before it is all gone.

Notice the Cuvee "G". This is like the batch of wine. In the French tradition, you may see this on a label. It has several different meanings in French, but the concept is the tank of wine that the bottle came from. Please note this is not regulated or mean that the wine is of superior quality, but it will help you find the batch you liked and usually means the wine is of higher quality.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

It's Square not round - California Square

After a long trip across 4 states in 6 days I thought it was time to add a wine to the blog.

The first thing notable about this wine is that it is in a square bottle. NO NEED for a wine rack as it doesn't roll across the counter.

Because of the design of the square bottle, it is easier to pack, ship, store and is definitely green for the environment because less packing materials are used.

Now a few words about the wine. This wine is from the Paso Robles region of California - or central coast. It is a 2012 vintage. I find the wine very smooth and in the Bordeaux style wines from France. This wine is a blend of Petite Sirah, Syrah, Sangiovese, Zinfadel, and Merlot.

It isn't bold, but doesn't lack flavor and is dry. The wine doesn't have a lot of fruit forward notes, but I do taste a bit of blackberry and possible some blueberry. No cherry in this wine. I would put it as a medium bodied dry red. They did a nice job with this wine. Try it the next time you see it.

2012 was a great year for California wines in the Paso Robles appellation. The crop was smaller but the concentration of flavors was much more intense.

The alcohol content is 14.6% and the wine would pair wonderfully with red meats or pastas that have a red sauce.

California square also makes a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon. Enjoy and happy tasting.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Haut - Medoc Region Wines

Personally, I have tasted some great wines from this region. Visiting the region two years ago was amazing and we cannot wait to return. There are so many great wines here not available in the US.

The Haut-Medoc region in France is the Appellation d'Orgine Controlee or AOC for wine in the Bordeaux wine region in southwestern France. It is located on the left bank of the Gironde estuary.

The Dutch settlers drained the region in the 1700s. Large beautiful chateaus were built along the Gironde river that are still there today. The region was originally salt marshes mostly used for grazing animals rather than viticulture. The British market was emerging and the Dutch wanted to offer the British alternative wines. Graves and the Portuguese regions dominated the British market.

The region allows Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Carmenere, and a small amount of Malbec grape varieties to grow here. Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant grape in this region.

The soil in this region consist of mostly gravel, chalk and clay. There are just shy of 400 vineyards in this region of France. You will notice on the map above, there are several sub regions of Medoc that include Margaux, Moulis, Listrac, Sain-Julien, Pauillac, and Saint Estephe. These areas were split off in 1936 and created their own AOC

You must put this region on your travel list.

Monday, June 16, 2014

I tasted Vecordia 2009- Ribera del DueroRoble from Spain tonight. When visiting Total Wine, this was rated high by one of the magazines according to the shelf and I thought I would try it.

I totally loved the wine. It is bold and dry, it doesn't have much fruit and is made mostly from the Temparanillo Grape. It is a quality wine at a great price. Total wine is selling it for $12.99, but I did see it a little less online on several websites.

I think this wine would go great with appetizers that have some spice, like a spicy mustard, or great with some spicy thai food - YUM!

This ripe red opens with notes of spice and currant on the nose, leading to bright red fruit notes on the palate supported by a touch of oak. Subtle tannins give weight to this wine without overpowering it. A silky finish rounds off with light hints of vanilla.

The wine has a really dark ruby red color. The smell has a nice bouquet and long dry finish. This has a much smoother texture but similar robust flavor of a Rioja. Please try it and love it.

Monday, April 14, 2014

Spring and Rose Wine is mighty fine. BRAVO Oregon

While at the beach for the first nice spring weekend after a long snowy cold winter, I decided to try a rose wine and this one stood out on the shelf mostly because of it's color. It is a beautiful color and I loved that it perfectly stated it was a "dry" rose.

This wine is made of 3 different grapes and is from Oregon. BRAVO Oregon. I loved this wine at $15.99 a bottle. The blend – Pinot Noir – 44%, Pinot Blanc – 23%, Pinot Gris – 21% 12.8% alcohol

Tasting Notes:

Beginning:
Pink grapefruit, mandarin orange. The bouquet of scents from a fruit stand.
Middle:
Just bitten cherries, the bright freshness of a cranberry. Soft rosewater, cream.
End:
A marine tang, delicious! Sweet spice, white pepper.

Serve this nice and cold on a hot day and it is just lovely. Hope you come to our wine tasting on June 28th. It will be the arrival treat prior to our wine tasting

Cheers Winos!

Saturday, March 15, 2014

A Great Italian - Michele Chiarlo Barbera d'Asti DOCG 2010

This wine I found at Harris Teeter in Virginia and as are most Italians, it is fantastic. I packed an extra bottle and brought it home for other to try. It is Superiore DOCG distinction with medium body and robust, rich fruit on the nose. It has rich cherry, black currant and black pepper flavors with moderate tannins that work with the acidity and a dry finish. The superiore distinction means that it has been aged at least 12 months with 6 months spent in a barrel.

The price was $14.99, so don't be afraid to go over that $10 a bottle price point because it was so worth it.

Barbera is a dark-skinned red grape variety found in several Italian wine regions (Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, Puglia, Campania, Sicily, Sardinia). It is Italy's 3rd most common grape. Barbera d'Asti is in the Piedmont region of north-west Italy and one of the most famous. In 1970 this region became a DOC and in 2008 it was upgraded to DOCG. The Barbera grape is a favorite among winemakers and consumers alike.

Here is a beautiful photo of the region in Italy

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Be Italian - Italian Wine Classifications - DOC, DOCG, VdT, IGT - Which is best?

A group of Italian wine makers got together in the early 1960's to find a way to raise the quality standards for Italian wines and classify regional wines. The goal was to give the consumer a way to gauge the quality of the wine and determine if it is made with a consistent quality and style. They created this 4 distinction system of ranking wines according to local wine making traditions.

VdT or Vino Da Tavola is considered the lowest class of wine in Italy and are table wine. This is wine created by the producer as they see fit to make it. Most of this wine is insipid, thin, weak, and acidic. The kind of wine that was sold in jugs. However, in the past there were also some spectacular Vini da Tavola, wines made by extremely good producers who decided to make something that didn't qualify for a superior status because of its composition or the way it was made. Because of laws in Italy almost all the quality wines that were once VdT are now IGT or wines that are produced in specific areas like

IGT or Indicazione Geografica Tipica - Typical of a local region wines. Most of these wines come from Tuscany. Cheap and great for everyday drinking with pasta or pizza, but not the type of wine that will knock your socks off. You can find some super Tuscan wines that are great, but most are still classed at the IGT level.

DOC or Denominazione di Origine Controllata - These wines convey a regional wine making style with specific grapes and the quality of the wine tends to be higher than Vdt and IGT. . Similar to the French AOC distinction, these wines are produced in specific rules and regions that are designed to preserve the traditional wine making practices. These wines also are more expensive than Vdt and IGT.

DOCG - here the "G" stands for Garantita. This is a wine that is guaranteed to follow specific wine making rules and where you will find some of Italy's best wines and most expensive. They require longer aging practices and require a tasting to obtain this distinction. The government actually will stamp the distinction along the side of the bottle/cork.

All this said, you may find you like a ITG or DOC over a DOCG, so get out there and start tasting now that we all better understand the classifications of Italian wines.

Monday, November 18, 2013

This is a brother like no other... JT

JT

Chateau de Nages - 2010
Costieres De Nimes -
This is the brother to the wine I blogged about last week:
Chateau De Nages Costieres De Nimes - Red Rhone Wine - 2010 vintage.

Total wine said they considered it a reserve.

I was back at Total Wine again and saw this wine. I spoke with the clerk, they actually know their wine, not to mention the have very cute clerks. The price point was $19.99 a bottle. I just get tired of tasting the same wine, so I Thought I would try it.

I kind of have a saying I love my wines that start with J. Josh, Justin, J. Lohr, Jordan, Joseph, and now JT.

The Gassier family owns the vineyard in Southern Rhone region. They produce about 50,000 cases a year with about 1/3 of this being imported in the US. This wine is 95% Syrah and 5% Mourvedre. This wine cuts a broad swath with dark anise, plum, and steeped black current. The finish is inlaid with graphite and smoky tobacco for definition. This is a big red, but balanced well.

Get yourself out to Total Wine or you liquor store and make a purchase. Well worth it.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

In Love with my French Wines

I have been trying a lot of French wines lately. I have to say you almost cannot go wrong with anything from Cotes de Rhone or Bordeaux region of France. I just keep finding great wines.

I was at Total Wine in Norfolk, VA and for those of you that have a Total Wine.

Chateau De Nages Costieres De Nimes - Red Rhone Wine - 2010 vintage.

I drank this bottle over two nights. The price point at Total Wine is $14.99 and it was a great wine. I really enjoyed it.

This is a wine that combines leathery, cedary notes with touches of spice and red fruit. It's supple, creamy and inviting, with a long, softly tannic finish." Enjoy with a pork tenderloin and fruit glaze. I had it with chicken and spinach.

This wine is a blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 10% Mourvedre, where the Mourvedre and Syrah are aged, on lees, in barrel, and the Grenache all in tank. Showing classic old vine Grenache character, with loads of licorice-laced blackberry fruit, smoked herbs, garrigue, pepper, and earthy minerality, it hits the palate with a medium to full-bodied, voluptuous and rich texture, notable balance, and a grippy, chewy finish. High quality stuff and well worth the effort to track down; it should shine for 5-8 years, if not longer. It has received 91 points from Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Try it, you will love it.

It will make a great impression at your table and your next dinner..... keep loving the wine :-)

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Rumor... Rumor... Rumor maybe true!

Well I heard a rumor that Portugal is the new big wine maker to hit the US since Argentina did a few years ago...

That maybe true, so tonight I went to Total Wine and picked up a bottle of wine from Portugal. Maybe it will be the biggest bestest secret ever, but the wine I had tonight was fantastic. According to Total Wine, this wine is one of the 20 best wines of 2013 and has won several wine spectator awards. The cost is $24.99 at Total Wine in Virginia.

Meandro Do Val Meao 2010

The grape varietals include:
45% Touriga Nacional, 30% Touriga Franca, 13% Tinta Roriz, 5% Sousão, 4% Tinta Barroca, and 3% Tinto Cão. This is a Portugese red blend.

Ok - so this maybe in Portugese - LOL I searched a bit and didn't find any translations, so as I write, maybe more will come available.

The region this is produced in Portugal is called Douro and this estate was started in 1877. Meandro is the 'second' wine from this estate, and represents something of a bargain in my opinion. After being crushed, the grapes were cooled down and trodden by foot during four hours in granite lagares and then transferred to small refrigerated stainless steel vinifying vats. Each grape variety is vinified separately. This wine was matured in second and third year French Allier oak barriques.
One of the most appealing facets about Portugal's native grapes is that they are at once both familiar and unfamiliar - and make a refreshing change from the usual suspects.Warm, spice-infused nose, packed with damson and sloe, carraway and black pepper. Very classy palate; restrained black bramble fruit, cinnamon and clove - savoury and sleek, with tannins perfect for food. Excellent length; should improve further - very good indeed.

Bottom line is I loved it, but we have a lot to learn about Portuguese wines. I think we in the US are use to the Italian regions, the French regions... and how we in the US call everything by the grape or a made up name. Douro maybe the next Bordeaux or Sonoma... but time will tell.

Cheers Wino's
xoxoxox

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Spain in 2008 is so great...

At a recent marathon wine tasting in Norfolk, VA at one of my new favorite spots, I tasted Altos de Luzon of 2008. It is from the Jumilla region of Spain and I really enjoyed this wine. After the tasting, this was my choice for a glass.

The wine is made from Cabernet, Mouvedre, and Tempranilla. It is considered a table wine but I suggest you will think of it as much more. It has complex long nose of berries and a powerfuld oak-spiced aroma. It has a lush creamy texture offering a sweet black and blue fruit flavors with a hint of cherry vanilla.

If you see this wine please try it. It wasn't real expensive and for you dry red lovers out there, I really enjoyed it. It just was smooth and different and sometimes tasting the same thing all the time is rather boring.

Friday, August 30, 2013

Two Whites Equals Nothing Wrong

Recently went to Press 626 Cafe & Wine Bar in Norfolk, VA and was able to taste about 10 wines over an hour long tasting and have many to share. First is the story of two white wines. Since I don't often talk about whites, here are two great choices.

Tenuta del Cavaliere by Marchetti is an Italian and also knows as Marchetti Tenuta del Cavaliere Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi. This is a Verdicchio that is is a yellow-green grape variety from central Italy responsible for making dry wines of the same color. The variety has been used here for many centuries, and its use has been documented in the Marche region since the 14th Century.

The dry white wines sold under this label are made from the acient Verdicchio grape.
Legend has it that when the troops of the king of the Visigoths, Alarich (370-410), marched on Rome, they were provided with barrels of Verdicchio to maintain their strength.

I enjoyed this white wine with its smoky white pepper notes that mark the very finest Verdicchios. The wine’s rich, mouth-filling pear and melon fruit is backed by intense currents of smoky minerals, riveting acidity, and exotic suggestions of genmaicha tea, chamomile, lemon zest and star fruit. Marchetti’s Verdicchio begs for hearty, rich food. We ate it with seared Ahi Tuna and it was wonderful. I would also consinder pairing it with other fish or white pizza. It is an impressive wine from Italy.

The other white wine of the evening was a 2011 Roussanne Tolosa. It is from a winery in San Louis Obispo, California and they have a solar powered winery. Their website is here: www.tolosawinery.com. The wine is 100% Roussanne which is a grape that most people are not familiar with. It is usually grown in the Rhone region of France and is often blended with Marsanne. This is not often found in California

The wine has floral and tropical layers of banana and pineapple with a rich and creamy full bodied finish. This is a wine I had not tried before and really loved it. This is a great wine on a summery day and pairs nicely with any seafood or a summer picnic. Try it, you'll love it.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Spanish Tempranillo - something different

Antano Rioja Crianza Tempranillo is an interesting wine with ruby red aromas of ripe plum and cherry with notes of violets and has an upfront fruit with balanced a nice acidity and an elegant finish that lingers. This would be a great wine with cheeses and tastings.

The wine is made of 85% Temprannillo, 10% Graciano, 5% Mazuelo, from Rioja Alta that is fermented in stainless steel and aged for 12 months in nuutral American and French oak.

Personally, at first, I really enjoyed this wine, but as it lingered I liked it less and less. I say try it for yourself and see what you think. I think it goes well with food, but just to drink by itself, it doesn't hold up.

Here is a little information about the region in Spain where the wine orginiates.

Bodegas Antano is located in the historic town of Briones, in the Rioja Alta sub-appellation of Rioja. The soil throughout Rioja is calcareous. Vines are naturally stressed in this type of soil, developing extensive root systems. Traditionally, vineyards in Rioja Alta were planted predominately with Tempranillo, a noble grape which the Spaniards regard as their finest red variety. This native grape is well suited to the region's subclimate, which is influenced by both the Atlantic and Mediterranean Oceans. Tempranillo is also blended with Garnacha (Grenache), Mazuelo (Carignan) and the indigenous Graciano. Bodegas Antano honors tradition while using modern enological innovation to produce some of the most extraordinary values in Rioja today.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Russian River Valley creates nice wine

Ottimino Zinfandel 2007 received 92 points from Wine Enthusiast in October in 2011. This wine is high in alcohol (13.9%), in the manner of a ripe Zin. This is a rich elegant wine and will make you want more.

Ottimino Estate Zinfandel pours a deep burgundy in the glass. The intoxicating nose is filled with aromas of plum, vanilla, oak, and black pepper. The wine is perfectly balanced and tastes of ripe blackberries, dark cherries, licorice, and vanilla. A spicy, long finish is prolonged with lingering notes of vanilla. This is a beautiful Zinfandel. Forget one more glass, I want to have another bottle!

Visit their website at www.otimino.com. In Pennsylvania the bottle runs about $22 and a great price for a great wine.

Here is some more information I found researching the wine.

VINEYARD: Planted in 2001, the Ottimino vineyard is owned by Brad Alper, an airline pilot by trade, and now gentleman farmer. The vineyards were planted and then grafted with budwood sourced from Lytton Springs Vineyard, Von Weidlich Vineyard, and Rancho Bello Vineyard. At an altitude of 800’, this part of the Russian River Valley remains cool in contrast to Dry Creek Valley, yet receives more sun than lowland Green Valley. Thus producing fruit forward robust wines without the high alcohols that normally accompany zinfandels.

VINTAGE: In the nearly ideal 2007 vintage, bud break in the Ottimino Vineyard was a bit earlier than Rancho Bello and Von Weidlich Vineyards, and its youthful vigor supported both an extensive canopy and an abundance of fruit. Numerous passes were required to bring the vines into balance, and by late summer the final thinning for green and raisined fruit left full, evenly ripened clusters of loosely packed, deep purple berries.

Monday, August 5, 2013

Great Price = Great Taste in this Wine

EOS 2009 Red Zinfendel was a favorite of many at our wine tasting a week ago and I want to share this especially with you. EOS Estate Winery is located in Paso Robles, California about half way between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The county is subject to similar climatic influences as its northern counterpart in Napa. You can find more information about EOS Estate Winery here: http://www.eosvintage.com/index.cfm

This wine was not only enjoyed at our tasting because of the taste, but the price was only $8.99 at the LCB here in York. I sugges you go now and buy up every bottle you can find. The 2009 Eos Zinfandel has dark ruby hues of garnet. The aroma exhibits classic peppery Zinfandel spice with raspberry highlights of boysenberry jam. Secondary aromas of cola, briar patch, and sultanas follow. On the palate, the wine is refreshing with zippy acidity and a lush palate. Flavors of jammed raspberries and spiciness persist. The finish is tightly knit and leaves the taster with a refreshed impression making this an excellent food wine.

2009 was a great year in this area for the Zinfandel in the Paso Robles region because it was a cool year that allowed the fruit to barley ripen and therefor exhibited surprising restraint for a Zinfand

Composition

81% Zinfandel
14% Petite Sirah
2% Merlot
2% Syrah

1% Other varieties

Readings

Alcohol: 13.9%
pH: 3.8
T.A.: 0.6g/100mL
R.Sugar: 0.3g/L