Wines & Cheese Tasting
January 26th & 28th
Thursday 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM, Saturday 12 PM – 5:00 PM
Boekenhoutskloof The Wolftrap White Blend 2010
Origin: Cape of Good Hope, South Africa.
Varietal: Viognier 67 %, Chenin Blanc 19% and Grenache Blanc 14%
Tasting Notes: Winemakers comments: A friendly style displaying characteristics of the components in harmony. The Viognier grapes are sourced from a dry- land vineyard in Malmesbury, the Chenin Blanc from Stellenbosch and the Grenache Blanc from the Piekenierskloof near Citrusdal. The Chenin Blanc and Grenache Blanc were barrel matured in French oak, after which the Viognier was blended and the wine was cold stabilized, filtered and bottled. Fruit blossom, spices and almond flavors, followed with a well textured palate with nice weight and a rounded finish. The wine has a lingering aftertaste with subtle wood flavors. 14.5% Alcohol
Food Pairing: This wine should pair well with chicken, pork, and softer cheeses. It also drinks well on its own
Debauchery Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Origin: The grapes of Debauchery Cabernet Sauvignon are grown in the rich soil of Chile's Maipo Valley south of Santiago nestled between the Andes and the Pacific Ocean.
Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Tasting Notes: Debauchery Cabernet Sauvignon presents a complex, flavorful blend of fruit and plum with splashes of vibrant, decadent flavors such as chocolate, raspberry jam and caramel. A deep ruby red, this wine's bold structure lingers over the tongue, offering peppery and oaky nuance.
Food Pairing: It mingles easily
with spicy foods, red meats such as porterhouse steak or tender rack of lamb,
and cow's milk cheeses. The Debauchery Cab also pairs well with crisp fall
nights in a hot tub with new friends.
Kaiken Malbec 2009
Origin: Lujan De Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
Varietal: 93% Malbec and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon
Tasting Notes: The wine presents a vivid ruby red color. On the nose black fruit and blueberries are evident, accompanied by chocolate, vanilla and elegant flower scents enhance the wine complexity. On the mouth it has velvety and harmonious tannins and good structure, due to a proper harvesting time selection, while vanilla notes stay lingering during the long finish of the wine. It’s a fresh and joyful wine, were acidity is in perfect balance, a faithful example of the quality of the Mendoza first zone. 60% American oak aging for 6 months with 40% seeing no wood. 14.6% Alcohol Wine Spectator selected the 200 Great Value Wines, wines that offer impressive quality-to-price ratios from 15 countries around the world. Kaiken was selected as the top value red wine for the Argentinean category! 89 points: Kaiken Malbec 2009.
Food
Pairing: The ideal
companion to pasta, barbecued or roasted meats and vegetables.
Westside Red “Troublemaker” Blend #1
Origin: Westside Red is a Rhône blend made from grapes grown in the Hope Family Vineyard, located in the western hills of Paso Robles. There isn’t a vintage on the label; it simply states Blend 1. Why? Westside Red is a troublemaker - it doesn’t play by the standard tradition of vintage dating. By blending 3 vintages, it has broken a rule. But there’s good reason; it is utterly delicious. Paso Robles, California
Varietal: Following the philosophy that wine is best made when a winemaker has choices, this blend is a fusion of 3 grapes and vintages. A combination of 2009, 2008 and 2007 fruit, Westside Red is a blend of 53%Syrah, 37% Mourvèdre and 10% Grenache.
Tasting Notes: Westside Red combines elegance and finesse with power and intensity. The wine’s deep fruit aromas of blackberry and black cherry evolve into a complex bouquet bolstered by spicy cloves and mocha. It is well-structured and balanced on the palate with hints of dried cranberry and an extended finish. The wine was aged in 100% French oak barrels with 65% of them new. Primary blending took place in January of 2010. The 2007 and 2008 portions of the blend were aged in barrel for 20 months and 12 months respectively, while the 2009 portion was barrel-aged for 4 months. The final blend was completed in May 2010.
Food
Pairing: A great wine for a
special dinner, a backyard BBQ with friends, or just sipping at home after a
long day’s work. It pairs well with roast beef, cheddar 5 years - 8
years, cheese sandwich, grilled chicken, chicken korma, eggplant, baked or
grilled fish, barbecued meat, gorgonzola, lamb shank, mackerel, mushroom dishes,
parmesan, pork chops, pork roast, salmon and sirloin steak.
Chatom Vineyards Syrah 2007
Origin: Esmeralda Valley, Calaveras County, California.
Varietal: 100% Estate Syrah
Tasting Notes: This Syrah comes from Chatom Vineyards, one of the area’s pioneering wineries, founded by Gay Callan in 1980. Chatom’s 65 acres of estate vineyards are located in Calaveras County’s stunning Esmeralda Valley. All of the fruit is vinified on-site at the winery. The Chatom Syrah’s serious structure, deep fruit, overall harmony and reasonable price make this a wine for all wine drinkers. It starts with aromas of intense dark fruit medley with hints of vanilla and light oak. On the palate you will savor a mouthful of blueberry, baked cherry and blackberry, white pepper and elegant oak with a lingering vanilla finish. The wine is barrel Aged 18 months. 15.2% Alcohol. 597 cases made.
Food Pairing: Well-marbled steaks, roasts, chops and stews provide the protein and richness that will show off the Chatom Syrah at its finest. Lamb is a classic partner to Syrah; beef, with its meaty intensity, will also be terrific, as will pork and game. For accent ingredients, black pepper, mild spices, green herbs and earthy ingredients like mushrooms and root vegetables will complement the wine’s dense flavors and structured tannins.