I don’t have an adequate introduction to this wine. Only to say that I am thoroughly impressed by the wide range of styles Cindy can produce. Taste this wine. You have to taste this wine.
Passaggio 2017 Connect Red Blend
Tag: red wine
J. Lohr 2018 Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon
I was just in the mood for a Cab. That mood doesn’t strike me often, so when it does I want something deliciously reliable. Luckily I had just received a shipment of new releases from J. Lohr that included their Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon. Done deal.
P.S. I didn’t pair this wine with a burger (though that’s a fab idea). I actually paired it with a pizza (also a fab idea—especially if you like a bit of peppery heat on your pie.)
Crystal Basin Cellars 2017 Reserve Grenache
If you haven’t read my notes about Crystal Basin Cellars Mourvèdre, definitely take a look. My understanding of California’s Sierra Foothills as a cool-climate wine terroir was proven right by that light, yet rustic single-varietal expression. So I was excited to open the winery’s single-varietal Grenache—a grape that I have a love-hate relationship with. I love it when I can taste the eccentricity of fruit flavors innate in this variety, the racy red spices that can linger in the back palate, and the assertive acidity that binds it all together. I hate when it turns into a over-ripe fruit bomb, worthy of spreading on my toast with peanut butter.
I’ll give you one good guess which side of the Grenache spectrum Crystal Basin Cellars falls into…
Crystal Basin Cellars 2016 Reserve Mourvèdre
I came across Crystal Basin Cellars during an industry event—actually it was a bit more like an informal gathering—of grapegrowers and winemakers in El Dorado County. The topic of discussion was lesser known varieties that thrive in this portion of the Sierra Foothills. We tasted some really interesting (and delicious) wines that day. A lot of what you may call “rustic” reds actually have an excellent “cool-climate” expression due to the colder air that sinks down through the Sierras and settles along the vines in the foothills. Indeed, Mourvèdre, a fun, funky grape that can be as carnal as you like it from one terroir but as delicate as a flower petal from another, has found a good home here in El Dorado, maintaining its innate structure, achieving full phenolic ripeness, but holding on to the much needed acidity to lift the beautiful fruit flavors on the nose and on the palate.
Wine Review: Flora Springs 2015 Trilogy
I like a good Bordeaux-style blend. I repeat, I like a good Bordeaux-style blend—the nuances of which are hard to master because, let’s face it, we’re not in Bordeaux. But I have to say that Flora Springs is consistently a reliable source for the California expression of this style with the production of their Trilogy red blend. So, let’s take a look at the 2015 vintage, shall we?
