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2012 Old Wine Zinfandel, Bogle Vineyards

Years ago at a work dinner in Cambridge I was introduced to Bogle for the first time, a lively and affordable red, while my hosts and I talked about the merits of Amarone. (I personally had yet to discover Amarone–hadn’t even heard of it, honestly–but filed away Bogle as a nod-worthy crowd pleaser that brought about a table full of happy dinner guests.) I have had several more Bogles since that time and enjoyed each. Even on this occasion I had set out to find a new Syrah, but the label and reputation of Old Vine Bogle did catch my eye and here we are.

2012 Old Wine Zinfandel, Bogle Vineyards, California, USA.

2012 Old Wine Zinfandel, Bogle Vineyards, California, USA.

This guy is a fan of Zinfandel, and in particular on those occasions where we’re doing some sort of grilling. Burgers, chicken…something where the inherent spiciness of the Zin has a chance to get out and roll around a glass, make itself welcome. Love that stuff. So where was I?

Tonight we paired up the 2012 Old Wine Zinfandel of Bogle Vineyards with grilled pork chops, slathered in a spicy mustard and white wine sauce, and it held up to the challenge. The pork was juicy, the marinade inviting, and the wine a good complement to it all. Little bit of red berry, little bit of pepper making itself known.

The winemaker offers these additional nuggets for you on the vintage: “…takes delicious fruit from the 2012 vintage and creates a wine lively with red cranberries and pink peppercorns. Hints of a hillside briar patch in summer waft through the wine as well, while spicy clove heightens at the finish from the oak aging.”

Is that all accurate? Pepper, yes, and the red berries too. Some of that language is a bit aggrandized but not too far from the mark when you strip away all the marketing B.S. and just concentrate on the grapes. I enjoyed our dinner and the Old Vine Zinfandel both.

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2013 Trivento Malbec Reserve

Jonesing for a red alternative this weekend, I grabbed this Malbec from a local grocery store and hoped for a good tasting experience. I’ve been doing more wine reading as of late and, while I couldn’t recall if the Trivento was included in any ‘must try’ recommendations, I know that Argentinian Malbec has been recognized by some wine aficionados as a below-the-radar find.

2013 Trivento Malbec Reserve, Mendoza, Argentina.

2013 Trivento Malbec Reserve, Mendoza, Argentina.

And so, from the world’s fifth-largest wine producer Argentina (up to $1 billion in 2014 exports from $5 million just 20 years ago) comes the Trivento. According to the winemaker, this wine gets its name from the Polar, Zonda, and Sudestada winds and owes its fortunes to the Eolo, the God of the Winds who commands the winds over the Mendoza region from which Trivento originates. Now that’s a whole lot of cool mythos, and the Trivento almost foots the bill. It’s a plummy red wine, a medium-bodied dry red that has a little bit of oaky vanilla woven throughout its core.

Our foodstuffs on this Sunday evening included a pork loin, savory and succulent, and a light green salad. Throw in some mashed potatoes too with the 2013 Trivento Reserve and you’ve got a meal.

Argentina boasts less than 5% market share today and the Trivento is a safe, right-down-the-middle of the plate groove through the strike zone. Not too sharp, and plenty safe. I liked fine enough but don’t really need to give it another go.

 

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Notes’ Top 5 Wine Surprises of 2014

Notes Of Note shared feedback on all kinds of wine in 2014. Some, like any Buena Vista offering or the Laurent-Perrier, are great grapes and would class up any occasion or event. This is not a “best of” list, though, but instead a quick thumbnail of several beverages that exceeded expectations or earned a raised eyebrow upon consuming. Put any of these on your “to do” lists and enjoy the year ahead:

  • 2011 Boom Boom! Syrah. Packed full of spices and reminds me of great summer fun with friends at Lake Gaston.
  • 2012 Carnivor Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s name feels gimmicky, but the wine holds its own against much pricier boutique bottles from California.
  • 2012 Mumm Napa Cuvee, M Sparkling Wine. The champagne approach is executed well and, interestingly, the celebratory beverage of the 2014 World Series champs.
  • 2011 Petite Petit. Best recommendation I received all year (thanks Winestore) and so much crazy fruit flavor in one fun-labeled bottle. Bet you go back for more after you have your first…
  • 2010 Summation Red Wine Blend. Kendall-Jackson is no small, secret “back room” operation but this blend was a gem that I’d never heard of before and knocked my socks off.

Thanks to everyone who shared bottles and good times over our glasses in 2014. Hoping your own celebrations tonight include good grapes and cheers to you all for a happy, healthy 2015.

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2008 Ondarre Reserva Rioja

My brother has good taste in wine, though he’s perhaps less interested than I in breaking down all the specific flavors a given bottle may convey to its consumer. This Tempranillo from Spain’s Rioja region is a good example–a bright, fruity red that finishes easy and comfortably for your Saturday night dinner. He picked it because it sounded good, I’m sure; I’m describing it here on Notes because he was right.

2008 Ondarre Reserva Rioja, Spain.

2008 Ondarre Reserva Rioja, Spain.

So what steak, what beef did we consume with the 2008 Ondarre Reserva Rioja? We actually cut against the grain and, after sampling it first during hors de oeuvres, continued on with it for our main course. Mom pulled out a gem of a shrimp dish that included butter, olive oil, lemon zest, garlic, red pepper flakes (some welcome heat!), and fresh minced rosemary. The kitchen smelled fantastic at this point, and the entire dish was roasted in the oven beside slides of lemon and ultimately finished with salt, pepper, and squeezed lemon juice.

All that goodness we ate with a side of cous cous and peas, plus the Ondarre. The red didn’t quite blend with the sauce on the shellfish but both the wine and the shrimp entre stood loud and proud by itself. Bearing the Reserva title from the Rioja region, we know that the grapes were oak aged for at least three years. With three of us drinking this wine for the evening, it did not age long in our glasses–a good thing.

This wine is solid. It can serve as the foundation for a good evening of wine drinking and certainly for smiles among family members enjoying a visit at Christmas. May yours be merry and bright…and thanks Steve for the nice contribution!

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2012 Mumm Napa Cuvée M, Sparkling Wine

There are many ways to finish off a great holiday evening. One favored in my family is a chocolate cream pie, a flaky-crusted treat layered with plenty of cream and just the right amount of dark, sweet goodness. That’s what we had for dessert tonight, capping off an enjoyable Christmas celebration, perfectly accompanied by the 2012 Mumm Napa Cuvée M, Sparkling Wine.

2012 Mumm Napa Cuvee M, Sparkling Wine, Napa, USA.

2012 Mumm Napa Cuvee M, Sparkling Wine, California, USA.

I was an immediate fan. The bubbly was great as it intertwined with the chocolate in the pie; not too sweet and not too tart. This 2012 Mumm Napa Cuvée M is the byproduct of grapes from more than 50 vineyards–surely Pinot Noir and Chardonnay among them*–that are blended only after the initial fermentation process in order to keep some of the nuances of the individual fruit. For a sparkling wine, the Mumm Napa Cuvée M was not too dry and had a very level, balanced finish.

From the winemaker‘s notes: “Cuvée M exhibits a graceful stream of very fine bubbles gently rising to a persistent mousse cordon with a light peach rose color. The aromas are elegant, rich and complex, showing fresh white and yellow stone fruits with subtle hints of wild strawberry. A light touch of fresh brioche, with hints of vanilla and honey add to the wine’s complex bouquet. On the palate, full flavors of peach and pear combine with a creamy caramel character, which lingers into a long satisfying finish.”

It’s got a light, peach and citrus bouquet and taste to be sure, working effectively with the chocolate sweetness to brighten our evening. I didn’t necessarily hit the strawberry referenced above, but I am not really a fan of a strawberry and did not go pulling on this thread to separate it from the overall tapestry of taste that is the Cuvée M. Incidentally, it’s this wine that the San Francisco Giants used in both 2012 and 2014 in order to celebrate their World Series Championships. I’m less a fan of the champs, but really happy with their good luck drink that is the Cuvée M. Enjoy…

*Ed. note: Additional research reveals the actual makeup of the Cuvée M as 48% Chardonnay, 43% Pinot Noir, 6% Pinot Gris, and 3% Pinot Meunier.

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2012 Baco Noir, Henry of Pelham

Three years ago we met Henry of Pelham on Christmas Eve, an international guest that made himself welcome in our family’s holiday celebration. He came back down from Canada tonight to bookmark our 2014 celebration and was once again excellent company for the short duration of his visit. What’s a Baco Noir, you ask?

2012 Baco Noir, Henry of Pelham, Ontario, Canada.

2012 Baco Noir, Henry of Pelham, Ontario, Canada.

Well, it is definitely not quite a Pinot Noir–at least the Californians that we often sample–and it’s lighter than a Napa or Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon. I even remembered to pop a quick photo of the bottle this year. It’s less spicy than the Syrahs we’ve been tasting from the West Coast, but probably closest to that profile. The 2012 vintage has a deep, purple-red color and some nice woodsy flavors that lurk just below a fruity surface. A good beverage, and one that started our cocktail hour and merriment.

The winemaker pulls grapes for the the 2012 right from the Henry of Pelham family vineyard and handles the fermentation process in stainless steel tanks before aging the wine in American oak barrels for six to eight months. This wine enthusiast isn’t sure but believes oak often imparts some of the vanilla hints to a wine…a vanilla this guy doesn’t really relish. I’m happy to report that the 2012 Baco Noir doesn’t carry this taste to an appreciable extent. (And if you have a good, reliable resource that explains the process by which vanilla is infused into a wine please by all means share it in a Comment.)

The 2012 Baco Noir from Henry of Pelham was long gone before we sat for our excellent dinner–a glazed ham, cooked light and luscious, a potato medley consisting of white and sweet varieties, steam vegetables, and lots of great conversation with family. May the 2012 Baco Noir usher in your special occasion in similar, rewarding fashion.

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2013 LT Zweigelt, Perniveldt Wine Cellars

This one is a boutique red, a special blend that you will be hard pressed to duplicate. Served for our family Christmas dinner, this 2013 was graciously gifted by my cousin and his bride and was received by all with glad hearts and eager palates.

2013 LT Zweigelt, Perniveldt Wine Cellars, Rochester, New York, USA.

2013 LT Zweigelt, Perniveldt Wine Cellars, Rochester, New York, USA.

Having arrived late to the festivities, I confess that the Perniveldt was half gone before I could enjoy my first glass. I’m a gamer, though, so threw myself right in the deep end and sampled this fun Zweigelt (my first) while noshing the delicious morsels Mom saved for my arrival (thanks again, US Airways, for that holiday surprise). Montreal seasoning, clinging loosely to the roast thanks to an olive oil base, made for a great exterior that complemented the juicy, tender interior of the meat. Add a little side salad, carrots (really liked their glaze[?] too), and mashed potatoes–plus some good grapes–and voila you’ve got a Christmas dinner to savor.

So what of the Zweigelt? It was good, a rich red that seemed closer to a Syrah than a Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir. Maybe like a kicked up Merlot or Cabernet-Merlot blend? It was perhaps a bit sweeter in its flavor than those other reds, and had a bit of a spice aroma or flavor that seemed to be layered into the mix as well. I understand that the Zweigelt is one of the most popular red grapes grown in Austria and has made its way to Canadian vineyards as well. Alas, I am only a rookie in sampling this particular wine, so some of its specifics may elude me on this first exposure in the 2013 LT, which had this eye-catching black and silver label work too.

I am looking forward to another sampling of the Perniveldt Wine Cellars and, even more importantly, the opportunity to visit and trade stories with the winemakers themselves. Merry Christmas, all.