Grenache Greatness

Grenache is the world's most widely planted grape used to make red wine. It is used most commonly as a backbone to red blends, but it is sometimes made in to a stand-alone varietal ~ and Chalone nailed it with their 2006 Gavilan Grenache.

We discovered this wine on a visit to the Chalone Vineyard a few years ago. Chalone is located in Monterey County in the Gavilan Mountain Range, bordered by the extinct volcanoes of the Pinnacles National Monument. "With its spare, well-drained soils rich in limestone; limited rainfall and low crop levels" they produce full-bodied wines with unique flavors - this wine definitely held to those standards.

The 2006 Gavilan Grenache has similar color and texture as a pinot, but carries a bigger punch. At first sip, I was reminded of dark chocolate and raspberries - and then poof... a flash of spice to finish it off (a very pleasant surprise!). It's unique blend of 'sugar and spice' make it a great wine for smoked meats - think backyard bbq - but will also go toe-to-toe with food that has a bit of a kick.

Chalone produced only 1,648 bottles of this gem. I wish we had purchased more!

Clos du Val Reserve Pinot Noir

We notice the effect that food has on Pinot Noir perhaps more than any other wine. It is delicate, but it can still be complicated enough to reveal nuances of flavor when paired with different dishes. (In other words, it's fun, it's tasty, and it goes well with good chow!)

Sally and I shared a bottle of 2005 Clos du Val Reserve Pinot Noir at the Prado last Sunday night. The Prado is one of our favorite restaurants and it features a very 'pinot-friendly' menu. Sally had their outstanding beef short ribs while I enjoyed their Colorado rack of lamb. Both were very, very delicious. Both also went very well with the wine.

We could taste a lot of fruit when we sipped the Clos du Val, followed by a hint of spiciness, and a fairly subtle version of Pinot Noir's trademark earthiness on the finish. (Note to self: "earthy" sounds way better than "hints of leather", which is how it's described on Clos du Val's website.)

The wine was very good, though it doesn't rank among our favorites. We prefer a little more balance and rich flavors, especially for a wine like this that's a little higher on the price scale ($50 for the current release).

2006 Ridge Carmichael Zinfandel

Ridge wine labels all look the same, so it's sometimes difficult to remember which one you really liked. Fortunately, if it says Ridge and Zinfandel on the label, it's going to be damn good whether or not it was the same one you enjoyed the last time.

Another good rule of thumb - if you taste a limited production wine and you really like it, don't settle on one bottle. Buy at least two instead so it's easier to share. We enjoyed two bottles of our 2006 Ridge Carmichael Zinfandel (96% Zinfandel, 4% Petite Syrah) last Saturday with Jeff's parents, Bob and Kathy. The first bottle was paired with an antipasto plate while we were on a gondola ride in the Coronado Cays. (A very fine time - check out the Gondola Company.) The second bottle accompanied a wonderful dinner at the Il Fornaio restaurant on Coronado.

This was a very jammy, smooth Zinfandel with lots of delicious fruit and just a hint of pepper. The tannins are very subdued, so you can enjoy the wine by itself, with an appetizer, or with a robust meal. White Zinfandel may be the reason Zinfandels haven't caught on as much in other parts of the country, but a good Zinfandel can be a very versatile wine. This one, like all Ridge's, was awesome!

Plumpjack 2004 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Everyone should keep a 'special' bottle (or two) on hand to treat yourself once in awhile. One of our special bottles is definitely our Plumpjack Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Every year we drink just one and buy just one to replace it when we're in Napa.

We drink our lone bottle of 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon a couple weeks ago over a nice dinner at Candelas in Coronado. It's an impossibly smooth and jammy Cab that somehow finishes with big tannins that are perfect to wash down a juicy steak. We didn't want this bottle to end, but like all bottles it did. Alas, there's always next year.

2006 Espiritu Dessert Wine from Cuvaison

It's no secret that Cuvaison is one of our favorite wineries since they make so many great varietals. Last night, we opened a bottle of their 2006 Espiritu Dessert wine. It's a port-style wine made with Petite Syrah grapes and fortified with brandy that makes a delicious combination. The wine maker's notes suggest this wine could age for many years, but there's no way we could wait that long - this stuff is good!

The trick to a good dessert wine is balance, since there are many flavors happening at once. There's sweetness, the alcohol, the fruit, and in port-style wines there's also brandy. Espiritu does a great job of achieving great balance -- not too sweet with very nice fruit. Lesser quality port-style wines can taste like too much caramel, too much alcohol, or too syrupy.

One note -- in our haste to drink this wine we paired it with a bowl of ice cream. It wasn't a great match, so we first enjoyed our ice cream and then enjoyed a glass of Espiritu. A good rule of thumb when pairing dessert wine with food is to pick a dessert that isn't quite as sweet as the wine. Fortunately, there's plenty left in the bottle to get it right the next time we have a glass!