Knuckle-Dusted Me Some Wine.
…just a quick post to tell you about 3 bottles of California wine that recently found themselves face to face with my corkscrew…
A few weeks back, my buddy Fernando stopped by the house, and wouldn’t you know, we opened up a couple of Central California wines that I was pleasantly surprised to have found at my local Pavillions supermarket. They’ve always had a decent wine aisle, but as of late some really interesting bottles have been popping up.
The first bottle was the 2007 Qupe ‘Central Coast’ Syrah. Qupe’s owner/winemaker Bob Lindquist always shows up with good grape juice, and this bottle was no exception. Mostly Syrah with a dash of Grenache (2%), the grapes for this wine are sourced from both Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo County. To quote the winery: “…The wine is essentially a blend of cool-climate Santa Barbara grapes and warm-climate Paso Robles grapes. The cool-climate fruit gives spice, acidity and balanced alcohol while the warm-climate fruit give softness, roundness, ripeness and more up-front fruit flavors and aromas.” I have to say that I definitely got the softness… several Syrahs I’ve had of late have been big and bold, and this one was much more elegant and graceful. Lots of red berry and cherry aromas and flavors, with a hint of pepper buried in there somewhere and oh-so-smooth tannins.
The second bottle that was cracked that night was from the same part of California: the 2008 Au Bon Climat Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir. Au Bon Climat is located on the renowned Bien Nacido Vineyard, and owner/winemaker Jim Clendenen is a contemporary of the aforementioned Mr. Lindquist (they share a wine-making facility). This Pinot is simple and tasty- strawberries and plums with a dash of spice; balanced and refreshing. Wine & Spirits gave it a 92.
Speaking of Pinot, just last week I was at my friend Doug’s house, and he popped the cork on this tasty bottle from the Anderson Valley.
The 2007 Drew “Fog Eater” Pinot Noir This little number was NO JOKE. Anderson Valley is the hot spot for Pinot these days, and Jason Drew set up his boutique winery smack dab in the middle of it. The grapes in this one are grown about 6 miles from the ocean, and the coastal qualities shine through. A floral nose of cherries and herbs is followed by layers of flavors: juicy red berries, cherry cola, and exotic spices. The mouth-feel is sublime; silky yet crisp, nice round tannins and a lingering finish. It got a 95 from Wine Enthusiast and 93 points from Wine & Spirits Magazine. We drank every drop.
By the way, you can pick up that wacky corkscrew pictured above for $12.99 from the good folks at ThinkGeek.
