Herb's Half Case Wine Club

January 2012
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Happy New Year! I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday season and is ready to tackle 2012. I’ve included heartier reds to coincide with our short winter season. I’ve even included an organic selection to start the year on a “healthier” note. Enjoy!

Cheers, Herb

My non-Wine Club selection for the month is Any Heartier West Coast Cabernet or Merlot. Winter-like weather is a fleeting phenomenon in Georgia. I can say this because I’m from New Hampshire, where it’s not so fleeting. This is the month to enjoy hearty winter foods – stew, chili, roasts, etc. – and the month to enjoy appropriately hearty wines. So make haste to our Cabernet and Merlot racks and pair seasonally.

2010 Borgias Soave (Verona, Italy)
Tasting Notes: This Italian white is a breath of fresh air as we start 2012. It’s 100% Garganega from the hills outside Verona and has fresh aromas of melons, limes, flowers, and even a hint of mineral. It’s clean on the palate with slightly bright tangerine and lime. The mid-palate is rounder with honeyed notes. The finish shows floral notes, stone fruit, and nice length. Quite an enjoyable white.

Food Pairing: This is a great starter wine. In fact, it’s a great choice for light apps. It has plenty of flavor and good acidity. Avoid anything too full-bodied, because it will overwhelm the wine.

2008 Domaine Fournier Les Belles Vignes Sancerre (Loire Valley, France)
Tasting Notes: I wasn’t able to find any currently released Sancerre that was financially feasible for the Wine Club, so I looked at the prior vintage. After some end of the year finagling, I was able to find this Sancerre from Fournier, a well respected Loire Valley winery. Sauvignon Blanc is grown just about everywhere on this planet, but those from Sancerre have a distinct element of terroir. This example has lime, passion fruit, and mineral aromas. It has nice weight on the palate with lichee, tropical fruit, and wet stone flavors. The mineral component, inherent in most Sancerre, is quite enjoyable. The finish is medium-bright with guava and mango flavors and good length.

Food Pairing: This white has enough flavor to stand on its own, but you can also pair with shellfish and lighter seafood dishes.

2008 Castle Rock Columbia Valley Merlot (Washington)
Tasting Notes: This is the “everyday red” selection for the month that’s great by itself or with a variety of foods. It starts with aromas of soft berry fruit and continues with a juicier, fresher style of flavor on the palate. Slightly ripe, berry fruit abounds with just enough acidity for balance. The finish is bright with clean raspberry and blackberry fruit, lower tannins, and nice length.

Food Pairing: This “everyday red” can pair with just about any weekday meal: burgers, pizza, chili, you name it. Steak might be a bit heavy for this red, so I’d avoid that choice.

2009 Medievo Seleccion Especial Tempranillo (Rioja, Spain)
Tasting Notes: This Rioja sees 4 months of oak and shows aromas of red fruits and spice. It has a solid mouthfeel (not too dry and not too rich) with dark berry/black fruit and vanilla notes. This red has good weight on the palate and good structure as well. The finish has berry fruit, vanilla, caramel notes at the very end, and wonderful length. This is an excellent entry level Rioja and one of my current favorites.

Food Pairing: Believe it or not, Rioja is a very versatile food wine. It will match well with everything from foods in a red sauce to steaks. Amazing how a little acidity can aid your pairing options.

2008 Metairie Syrah/Mourvedre Reserve (Vin de Pays D’Oc, France)
Tasting Notes: This red blend is 60% Syrah and 40% Mourvedre and is quite good to boot! It starts with rich, dark cherry/berry aromas, which leads to a smooth mouthfeel. On the palate, you’ll find balanced liqueur-like berry fruit with dried cherry flavors. The mid-palate shows more dried cherry fruit and nice tannic grip. The fruit flavor is very natural, showing lovely purity. The finish has integrated tannins with berry fruit and a hint of earth. Wonderful Rhone-styled blend!

Food Pairing: This red has a higher spice component, so I would keep the food preparation simpler. Sometimes spicy wine and heavily spiced food doesn’t work. The wine is medium to full-bodied, so your pairing options are less restricted.

2007 Sterling Vineyards Organic Cabernet Sauvignon (Mendocino, California)
Tasting Notes: After the hedonism of the holidays, I thought it would be best to start 2012 with an organic offering, especially one with a bit of stuffing for this colder weather. This example from Mendocino County has aromas of cherry, cedar, and a hint of brambly fruit. This wine is a bit closed upon opening, so let it breathe to expand the flavors. I first found subtle cherry flavors and, after aeration, found darker cherry, richer fruits, and more depth. This wine has a dry backbone and will pair nicely with food. The finish has heavier tannins, dark berry fruit, spice, underbrush notes, and good length. This is a great winter Cabernet.

Food Pairing: This is the heaviest red this month, so try it with steak or a hearty beef/lamb stew.