Father's Day Wine, Cheese, Dips & Spreads Tasting
June 16 th & June 18th
Thursday 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM, Saturday 12 PM – 5:00 PM
Mohua Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Origin: Central Otago, Marlborough, New Zealand.
Varietal: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Tasting Notes: The 2010 harvest delivered the perfect conditions to produce a classic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. A long settled Marlborough autumn with warm days and cool nights ensured intense flavors were captured. An elegant wine with aromas of guava and lime combined with an expressive palate of nectarine and grapefruit. A vibrant wine with a long refreshing finish. Wine Spectator 88 points - “Pretty, with floral overtones, delivering lemon curd, dried mango and pineapple punches of flavor. Appealing for its smooth texture and crisp acidity. Drink now.”
Food Pairing: Sauvignon Blanc is a very
food-friendly wine and terrific for appetizers such as artichoke dip, veggie
dishes or dips, garlic or Italian seasonings in creamy sauces, fragrant salads
- like Greek or Caesar, Thai food, fish (sushi), poultry, veal and pork.
McManis Petite Sirah 2009
Origin: California
Varietal: 100% Petite Sirah. In the late 1800s, Dr. Francois Durif crossed
Syrah and Peloursin in
the Rhone region of France, and called it Petite Syrah.
Tasting Notes: The color of the 2009 Petite Sirah is of concentrated purple, with a youthful bright hue. The nose of the wine is full of ripe Blackberry, Boysenberry aromas, which are accompanied by Mocha and hints of brown sugar. The berry aromas of the nose are also evident in the flavor, when the rich, full bodied wine enters the mouth. The wine was aged in a combination of new and used, French and American oak for 4 months. Notes of milk chocolate and anise linger long after swallowing
Food Pairing: Pair this flavorful wine with hearty meat dishes such as steak, lamb, pork or game and the rich sauces that usually accompany them. This would make a great pairing with spicy barbecue as well.
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 aromas 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. Recommended 30 minutes decanting before drinking. WINE SPECTATOR, U.S.A. October 2010 - Kaiken selected as a top value red by Wine Spectator - 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.
Slingshot Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
The 2007 Slingshot Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is the brainchild of James Stewart, one of California's new generation of winemakers that have taken advantage of the wine glut California is faced with due to oversupply and the economic downturn that is currently upon us. Stewart realized this oversupply and set out to make deals with some of California's finest growers of ultra-premium Cabernet Sauvignon. He felt if he could broker the right deal with the right grower, he could offer top-flight Napa Valley Cabernet at a very attractive price. What Stewart was not prepared for was flood of offers that would be thrown at him. It was like shooting fish in a barrel. With this, Slingshot Wine Company was born.
Origin: Napa Valley, California
Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Tasting Notes: Crafted to be nicely drinkable upon its release in the spring of 2010, this wine has the structure to age beautifully in the bottle for many years. In the mouth it feels round, with soft tannins punctuated by just enough acidity. Subtle berry and black cherry flavors combine with a touch of dark caramel and coffee. The long finish lingers with suggestions of vanilla and herbs.
Food Pairing: This wine is the perfect partner with steaks, flavorful and heartier (red) pastas, lamb, and strong-flavored cheeses.
Charles & Charles Red 2009
Origin: Columbia Valley, Washington. Charles & Charles are Charles Bieler (Three Thieves, among others) and Charles Smith (K Vintners). The grapes are all grown on the Wahluke Slope in the Columbia Valley , Washington in vineyards owned by the Milbrandt Family.
Varietal: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Syrah.
Tasting Notes: This wine is deep, dark purple with a strawberry red outer ring. The nose is plum, black currant, dark chocolate and lilacs. A plush, velvety smooth mouthfeel, the flavors of the wine coat your mouth. The dark fruit and chocolate of the Cabernet Sauvignon dominates the taste upfront, while the blueberry of the Syrah comes through on the mid-palate. A reasonably long chocolate covered blueberry finish. The Cabernet Sauvignon is aged in French oak barrels, while the Syrah is aged in stainless steel vats.
Food Pairing: This
should pair well with a variety of foods from beef and pork to burgers and
pizza. It also drinks great on its
own.
Porque No Tres Sabores Zinfandel/Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
Origin: Rutherford, Napa Valley, California.
Varietal: The Rutherford Zinfandel hand crafted by Julie Johnson contribute to this wine (approximately 76% of the blend). Tres Sabores ‘Rutherford Perspective’ Cabernet (12%), Petit Verdot (from a great vineyard in Hopland) and Petite Syrah (from a neighbor in Rutherford) to make up the balance.
Tasting Notes: Out-front fruit-filled aromatics: blackberry, boysenberry, black cherry. These characters reflect the Zinfandel element in the wine—especially since the use of ‘previously inspired’ barrels serves to buoy the fruit rather than mask it. Also—a nice middle mouth feel: there’s substance and texture there. Here’s where the Cabernet comes in. The Petite Syrah also gives an earthiness and robustness (and a dash of pepper, as well, complementing the natural spiciness of Zinfandel). Something fun that you can’t quite put your finger on: Petit Verdot adds a bit of sparkle—a fresh carbonic note—not to mention its contribution to the deep purple color.
Food Pairing: Foods to pair with Zinfandel include sausage, beef, lamb, pork and venison, either braised, grilled or roasted. The lower tannin in this wine can accommodate some heat from chiles, so ribs with a spicy barbecue sauce are considered almost a classic match. Zinfandel-friendly cheese choices include aged Parmesan and Manchego. Other ingredients that enhance Zinfandel are tomatoes, eggplant, mushrooms and olives.