Tag Archives: Wine of the Week

Wine of the Week: 2010 Carol Shelton Wines Pinot Noir Larson Vineyard Carneros

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Every Thursday I feature a wine I particularly enjoy, whether it’s something new and different, is a great value, or from a producer worth checking out.  For this week, my Wine Of The Week is the 2010 Carol Shelton Wines Pinot Noir Larson Vineyard Carneros.

The wine is produced by Carol Shelton’s eponymous winery – a self-described “Zin Specialist” located in Santa Rosa, CA.

Carol Shelton is widely cited as the most awarded winemaker in the United States. She has won countless medals for her wines and has been honored as Winemaker of the Year numerous times. 

Carol studied at University of California at Davis. She’s worked with greats like Robert Mondavi and Andre Tchelistcheff before taking the winemaker position at Windsor Vineyards where she worked for 19 years. She and her husband founded Carol Shelton Wines in 2000.

I’ve enjoyed more than a few Carol Shelton Zins,  and I gladly vouch for them.  In addition to Zinfandel,  Carol Shelton Wines produces a white Rhone blend, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, a Rosé and dessert wines.

The 2010 vintage was the first year the winery produced Pinot Noir. The Pinot Noir grapes were sourced from the Larson Vineyard in Carneros in Sonoma County.

2010 Carol Shelton

2010 Carol Shelton Wines Pinot Noir Larson Vineyard Carneros

My tasting notes follow:

Dark ruby color with elegant with cherry, earth and pepper aromas. On the palate, it’s medium bodied with wonderful acidity, silky mouth feel and ripe cherry cranberry, and spice flavors. Medium-Long finish. 14.5% alcohol.

The wine is a blend of 96.5% Pinot Noir, and Petite Sirah.  It’s aged 10 months in French oak barrels (50% new and 50% 2-year-old )14.5% alcohol. 218 cases produced.  Suggested retail SRP – $38

It’s definitely as Carol Shelton puts it, a “Zin-lover’s Pinot!”, so while Pinot-purists might balk, I like to mix it up a bit, depending on my mood and the food, and this one hit the spot for me!

Rating:  A-

Wine purchased for review

Ratings Key:
(A+) – 98-100/Extraordinary
(A) – 94-97/Outstanding
(A-) – 90-93/Excellent
(B+) – 86-89/Very good
(B) – 80-85/Good
(C) – 70-79/Bleh
(D) – 50-69/#Fail

Follow me on Twitter @martindredmond for all things wine, and since I’m a wino, with latent foodie tendencies, you’ll also find food and wine pairings, and food related stuff!  Become a fan and join ENOFYLZ Wine Blog on Facebook. Cheers! This article is original to ENOFYLZ Wine Blog.com. Copyright 2013 ENOFYLZ Wine Blog. All rights reserved.

Wine of the Week: 2011 Navarro Vineyards Edelzwicker

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Every Thursday I feature a wine I particularly enjoy, whether it’s something new and different, is a great value, or from a producer worth checking out.  For this week, my Wine Of The Week is the 2011 Navarro Vineyards Edelzwicker. 

The Winery

Navarro Vineyards is a family-owned winery that has been growing growing grapes, making wine and producing non-alcoholic grape juices in the Anderson Valley since 1974. Anderson Valley’s is best known for producing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Alsatian varietals (Riesling, Gewurztraminer,  and Pinot Gris)

I discovered Navarro Vineyards during a “drive-by” on our way to the Mendocino Crab Festival a few years ago. It’s been a favorite in Anderson Valley ever since because of its diverse selections of wine (tastings are free), and reasonable prices for very good to outstanding wines. Their cozy tasting room overlooks their vineyards,and it’s great spot for a picnic (they have very nice deli case with a wonderful selection of cheese, and other simple picnic supplies)  Navarro Vineyards produces about 40,000 cases of wine a year, most of which is sold directly at the winery.

The Wine

The name “Edelzwicker” is two German words mashed together…Edel (which means “noble” Alsatian wine grape varieties of Gewürztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Gris and Riesling), and  ”Zwicker” (blend) – thus it means ”noble blend”.  In practice the term Edelzwicker is often used to designate any blended wines of AOC Alsace white grape varieties.

.Here’s what Navarro Vineyards says about the wine…

Today, Edelzwicker is only a fanciful name without any current AOC status, but Navarro’s 2011 Edelzwicker goes back to the 17th century parameters. It is truly noble, containing 42% Riesling, 33% Gewürztraminer and 25% Pinot Gris.

The San Francisco Chronicle listed the 2011 Edelzwicker as a Top Value from a Top Winery.

Wine of the Week; 2011 Navarro Vineyards Edelzwicker

Wine of the Week; 2011 Navarro Vineyards Edelzwicker

My tasting notes follow:

Pale yellow green color with stone-fruit and tropical fruit aromas. On the palate, it’s light-bodied and off-dry with peach, apricot, and mineral flavors.

Rating: Recommended. This is a well-made, but fun wine! Perfect for picnics too!

Pair with:  My favorite pairing for this wine is my spicy Seafood Gumbo (see link below for the recipe), but it’s also wonderful with Thai food, lighter picnic fare, and fresh oysters. And with the wine and food pairing tenet “What grows together, goes together” in mind, try with regional Alsatian dishes like sauerkraut, flammekueche, kugelhopf, or sausages.  

The Wine Geek Stuff:

  • Alcohol: 12.4%
  • Closure: Cork
  • AVA: > California> North Coast> Mendocino County
  • Grape Varieties: 42% Riesling, 33% Gewürztraminer and 25% Pinot Gris.
  • Cooperage: Stainless Steel
  • Retail: $14
  • Cases produced: Unknown
  • Drink: now – 2015

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Seafood Gumbo and Wine Pairings For Soul Warming #SundaySupper

 

 

Wine of the Week: 2005 Goldeneye Pinot Noir Anderson Valley

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My Wine Of The Week for November 3rd-9th is the 2005 Goldeneye Pinot Noir Anderson Valley.

The Winery

Goldeneye winery in the was founded in 1996 by Dan and Margaret Duckhorn of Duckhorn Vineyards, producers of one of Napa Valley’s most iconic Merlots.  The winery is located in Philo, which is located in the Anderson Valley in western Mendocino County.  Essentially, their vision for Goldeneye is to make terroir driven wines equal in stature to their Merlot.

“At Goldeneye, in the heart of Anderson Valley, we focus on elegant Pinot Noirs and small production wines from the extensive palette of flavors offered by our estate vineyards”

While focused on Pinot Noir, they also produce a Vin Gris of Pinot Noir, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Gris.

For a vineyard perspective, Goldeneye has more than 200 acres of estate vineyard planted to Pinot Noir, with more than 20 distinctive clones. For a complete profile, click here

If a  winery being ecologically sensitive is important to you, Goldeneye is one of a handful of California wineries that has earned the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council®.

My wife and I discovered Goldeneye on our return trip from the Mendocino Crab Festival several years ago.  We saw this gorgeous property and decided to drop-in.  I’m glad we did. We had one of the best tasting experience we’ve had a Goldeneye.  It’s a sit-down tasting in a very tastefully decorated elegant living room with a stunningly beautiful view of their patio, vineyards and Redwood trees.

 The Wine

My wife and I have been holding onto this bottle of wine for nearly 4 years!  During our tasting we discovered that this was one of the wines (along with the 2007 Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc) served at President Obama’s 2009 Inauguration lunch (click here for menu).  We purchased a magnum (our first) with the intent of opening it on  Election Night 2012.  With that in mind, I tucked into the back of the wine fridge (out of sight…out of mind!)

2005 Goldeneye Pinot Noir

On Election night we invited friends by to share the wine and catch some must-see TV – the election results. I must confess, I was a bit concerned that the bottle may have been corked, or the wine might be getting on in age (according to Cellartracker, a crowd sourced wine review and cellar tracking tool, the drinking window is 2008-2012) I’m pleased to report the wine is drinking beautifully!

My tasting notes follow:…

Medium garnet color with damp earth sweet cherry, and spice aromas. . On the palate it’s full-bodied, fresh and silky smooth with ripe cherry, hints of cranberry, spice and raspberry. Long finish. – 90pts

We enjoyed the wine (and the election results) immensely!

The Wine Geek Stuff:

Alcohol: 15.2% alcohol.

Closure: Cork

AVA: >California> North Coast> Anderson Valley

Varietal(s): Pinot Noir

Cooperage: 16 mos. in oak, 75% new; 1 yr in bottle

Retail: $112 (1.5L)

Cases produced: Unknown

 

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Wine Of The Week: 2008 Loring Wine Company Clos Pepe Pinot Noir

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My Wine Of The Week for October 27-November 2 is the 2008 Loring Wine Company Close Pepe Pinot Noir.

The Winery

Loring Wine Company (“LWC”),  an urban winery is owned by brother and sister – Brian, and Kimberly Loring. Brian is the winemaker,and self-proclaimed “Pinot-Freak”.

You know how most wine lovers start modestly with “starter” wines?  Brian did not.

While in college, he worked at a wine store in Southern California where one of the owners was a Burgundy fanatic. Brian’s first experiences with Burgundy were from the some big-time Burgundy producers such as Domaine Dujac, Henri Jayer and the iconic Domaine Romanee-Conti.

After college he worked as a software engineer before getting hooked on the wine business.  He got his start working the ’97 crush at Cottonwood Canyon Winery, and ended up making two barrels of Pinot Noir.

Loring has been a darling of Wine Spectator (“WS”) for a few years now, consistently earning 90+ point scores for their wines.  That’s actually how I came to know about Loring.  When I subscribed to WS a few years ago, I was reading an issue and amazed at how many high scores Loring received.  I found out who they were, and purchased a bunch of wines from their vaunted 2008 vintage.  Subsequently, when my wife and I arranged for a private tasting  hosted by co-owner Kimberly Loring.  Brian was also on hand.  They were very gracious hosts,and we came away impressed.

While they focus primarily on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, they also produce a Cabernet Sauvignon/Mourvedre blend called Divergence which has also received critical acclaim.  It’s expensive though at $100/bottle.

The wines are sold through a mailing list and there is widespread retail distribution. Tasting is by appointment in the “Lompoc Wine Ghetto”. The tasting room is open Friday through Sunday from 12:00 to 5:00 (Monday through Thursday by appointment – 805-742-0478).

The Wine

This wine is sourced from the Clos Pepe Vineyard, an example of LWC sourcing first-rate Pinot Noir grapes from prestigious vineyards. The vineyard is located in the Santa Rita Hills AVA, an area that is ideally suited for growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay Grapes.

The list other wineries who have sourced grapes from the same vineyard is a testament to the quality of the fruit, and reads like a Pinot Noir All-Star line-up.  Aside from LWC, other wineries who have sourced their fruit from Clos Pepe include A.P. Vin, Arcadian, Bonaccorsi Wine Company, Brewer-Clifton Winery, Carr Vineyards, Copain, Ken Brown, Kenneth Crawford, Hartley-Ostini Hitching Post Winery, Loring Wine Company, The Ojai Vineyard, Roessler Cellars, Siduri and Tyler.

 

Stylistically, LWC wines are “New World” style.  And for that reason they can be polarizing. They tend to be unapologetically “big” ripe wines (I vividly recall Brian describing one of his Pinots as a “steak Pinot”…and you know what?…it’s true!) that some believe to overly ripe.  Although, I have seen the alcohol level trending down the last couple of years.

My tasting notes follows:

Dark ruby color with cherry, plum, cola and spice aromas. On the palate, it’s intense, fresh, medium-full bodied, and silky smooth with cherry, cola, and spice flavors. Long finish. – 91pts

Recommendation: Highly recommended, especially if you prefer a more fruit-driven (though still well-structured) style Pinot.

The Wine Geek Stuff:

Alcohol: 15.2% alcohol.

Closure: Screwcap.

AVA: > California> Central Coast> Santa Rita Hills – Sta. Rita Hills

Varietal(s): Pinot Noir

Cooperage: Unknown

Retail: $43

Cases produced: 200

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Wine Words Demystified: Must

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You know the deal; the more some folks learn about a topic, the more shortcuts/slang/acronyms/initials/technical jargon can be tossed around.  I’m here to help you understand those sometimes mysterious words and phrases, thus - Wine Words Demystified!  Since harvest is in full effect here in Northern California, I’ll be featuring harvest related terms the next several weeks!

This week’s word is Must...

According to Karen MacNeil‘s The Wine Bible:

The juice and liquidy pulp produced by crushing or pressing grapes before fermentation. 

The solid portion of the must, composed of skins, seeds, and sometimes stems, is called pomace.  Making must is the first step in the winemaking process.

Must

Crushed or pressed grapes create must – Image courtesy of Wikipedia

After the must is created, it is transferred to tanks or fermenting bins to cold soak for a period of time.  The length of time that the pomace stays in the juice is a crucial determinant in the final character of the wine.  It’s a key factor in determining a wine’s color, flavors and aromas. Once the winemaker determines the time is right, the juice is drained off the pomace and fermentation is started. It’s fermentation that turns the juice into wine!

The leftover pomace is typically returned to the vineyard for fertilizer.

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Wine Of The Week: Ancien Pinot Noir Red Dog Vineyard

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The 2010 Ancien Pinot Noir Red Dog Vineyard is my Wine of the Week (“WoW”) for September 8th-September14th.

The Winery

Ancien Wines is a Napa based winery founded by Ken and Teresa Bernards.  Ken is the winemaker.  Like so many winemakers, he has a background in science. He worked his first harvest in 1986, while still pursuing his degree in chemistry at Oregon State University.  He made their first five barrels of Ancien Pinot Noir Carneros in 1992, and since 1998 they have been making wine of under the Ancien label.

Ancien is focused exclusively on producing Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay.  Grapes for their wines are sourced from throughout California, Oregon, and even Burgundy, France.  According to their website, “Ken is the only winemaker to import grapes whole from France and then vinify them in California”.  Ken also works as a consulting winemaker for wineries in California and Chile.

I discovered the Ancien Pinot Noir at the 2012 Family Winemakers of California held September 9th and 10th.  Toward the end of the day, I ran into one of my wine buddies, Lamont after I’d finished tasting Meritage Red wines all day. At that point,  I was in what I call “Taster’s Choice” (a.k.a. Wine Tasting By Walking Around) mode.  I asked him if he had any recommendations. He’s was focusing on Pinot Noir that day. He recommended Ancien.  I trust Lamont’s palate, so I headed on over.  Glad I did. Thanks Lamont!

The Wine

The grapes for this wine were sourced from the Red Dog Vineyard, which sits atop Sonoma Mountain at about 1000 feet elevation, on the cool western side.  The vineyard was planted in 2000, primarily to Swan Selection (named after Joseph Swan who propagated the clone in the Russian River Valley) along with a smaller block of Dijon clones 777 and 115. At the 1000 foot elevation, the vineyard is almost continually cooled by the ocean breezes from the Pacific moving inland through the Petaluma Gap.  Pinot Noir likes such conditions. According to Ancien Wines…

 The soils are some of the most ancient soils in Sonoma County and have been leached of nutrients by wind and rain for aeons.  It is a truly spectacular vista point but a challenging place to grow grapes.

The wine may be purchased at Ancien Wines. It appears it’s yet to be released.  The 2009 vintage is sold out.

2010 Ancien Pinot Noir Red Dog Vineyard

2010 Ancien Pinot Noir Red Dog Vineyard

My tasting notes follow:

Ruby color with aromatic cherry, baking spice, and a bit of earthy aromas. On the palate it’s medium-full bodied, silky smooth and well-balanced with tart cherry, cranberry, and cinnamon clove flavors. Medium-long finish.  - 92pts Highly recommended

 

The winery is located in the Coombsville AVA, just east of the city of Napa.  Tasting is available by appointment only at that location.  Alternatively, the wine are available for tasting at the  Vintner’s Collective in downtown Napa.  These are wine definitely worth seeking out.  I know I plan to!

The Wine Geek Stuff:

Alcohol: 14.3% alcohol.

Closure: Cork.

AVA:  > California> Sonoma> Sonoma Mountain

Varietal(s): 100% Pinot Noir

Cooperage: Aged in French Oak

Retail: $48

Cases produced: Unknown

Ageability: Drink now, or hold for 5-7 years

 


Wine of the Week – 2010 Robert Mondavi Pinot Noir Reserve

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The 2010 Robert Mondavi Pinot Noir Reserve is my Wine of the Week (“WoW”) for September 1st-September 7th. It was my wine of choice for the 3rd annual #PinotSmackdown on September 6th!

The Winery

The Robert Mondavi Winery was established in 1966 by Robert Mondavi, one of the most influential and esteemed winemakers in California history (Click here for his story).  It was the first major winery built in Napa Valley, and for decades was California’s most famous winery.  It was acquired by Constellation Brands in 2004.

It’s a beautiful property with classic California mission-style architecture, with the expansive archway and bell tower.  I must confess, I haven’t been in a long time.  I recall visiting one of my first trips to Napa.  Nowadays, I tend to visit the smaller wineries.  But after tasting this wine, and their Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (see post below), I’m going to have to drop by next time I go to Napa!

The Wine

The grapes for this wine were sourced from vineyards in cool climate Carneros AVA in the southernmost part of the Napa Valley. 82% of the fruit is from the Rancho Carneros Vineyard, planted in 1970, and 18% is from the Hyde Vineyards, planted in 1979.

What struck me most about this wine is how silky smooth it is.

2010 Robert Mondavi Pinot Noir Reserve

2010 Robert Mondavi Pinot Noir Reserve

My tasting notes follow:

Dark ruby color with fresh cherry, pomegranate, cedarwood, and floral aromas. On the palate it’s complex, medium-bodied and balanced with a very silky mouthfeel, and tart-ish cherry, cranberry and pomegranate flavors. Long finish. – 91pts; Highly recommended

 

This wine is a great example of why I love Pinot Noir. I arrived home after a loooong day at work, to discover Chicken Curry (mild) for dinner.  I paired this wine with the Chicken Curry, and a Quinoa Zucchini salad dressed with a lemon balsamic vinegar chia seed dressing.  This wine worked well with both, in part due to the inherent acidity of Pinot Noir, and in part because it’s medium-bodied rather than a light-bodied Pinot Noir.  Pinot Noir is known as the Chef’s wine for good reason, it’s such a versatile food pairing partner!

The Wine Geek Stuff:

Alcohol: 14.5% alcohol.

Closure: Cork.

AVA:  > California> Napa Valley> Carneros

Varietal(s): 100% Pinot Noir

Cooperage: Aged in 100% new French Oak for 12 months

Retail: $60

Cases produced: 1,903

Media Sample

Many thanks to Folsom & Associates for providing the wine.

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Wine Of The Week: Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Merlot

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My Wine of the Week (“WoW”) for July 21-July 27 is the 2009 Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Merlot.

The Winery

The Robert Mondavi Winery was established in 1966 by Robert Mondavi, one of the most influential and esteemed winemakers in California history (Click here for his story).  It was the first major winery built in Napa Valley, and for decades was California’s most famous winery.  It was acquired by Constellation Brands in 2004.

It’s a beautiful property with classic California mission-style architecture, with the expansive archway and bell tower.  I must confess, I haven’t been in a long time.  I recall visiting one of my first trips to Napa.  Nowadays, I tend to visit the smaller wineries.  But after tasting this wine, and their Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (see post below), I’m going to have to drop by next time I go to Napa!

The Wine

The grapes for this wine are sourced from vineyards throughout Napa Valley including a couple of Napa’s iconic vineyards, To Kalon, and Wappo Hill ( 73% Stags Leap District (including 38% Wappo Hill Vineyard); 15% To Kalon Vineyard; 12% Napa Carneros)

What struck me most about this wine is  how well-balanced it is.  That’s the exception rather than the rule at its price point of $23!

2009 Robert Mondavi Winery Merlot

My tasting notes follow:

Deep garnet color with cassis, cedarwood, and hints of tobacco aromas. On the palate it’s light-medium bodied,well-balanced with fine-grained tannins, cassis, black cherry, blueberry flavors. Medium finish – 88pts

Recommendation: Highly recommended. It’s a nice value at $23!

The Wine Geek Stuff:

Alcohol: 14.9% alcohol.

Closure: Cork.

AVA:  >California> Napa Valley

Varietal(s): 93% Merlot; 3% Cabernet Franc; 2% Cabernet Sauvignon; 2% Malbec

Cooperage: Aged in French Oak for 14 months

Retail: $23

Cases produced: Unknown

Media Sample

Many thanks to Folsom & Associates for providing the wine.

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Wine Of The Week: 2010 Carlisle Syrah Papa’s Block

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My Wine of the Week (“WoW”) for June 30-July 6 is the 2010 Carlisle Syrah Papa’s Block.

Winery

Carlisle Winery & Vineyards is a small Sonoma County based winery  based in Santa Rosa. According their website they specialize in the..

…production of old-vine, vineyard designated Zinfandels and red Rhone varieties (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Petite Sirah).

Mike Officer is the Owner/Winemaker.  He caught the wine “bug” early – at age 19 – when he tasted a late-harvest Riesling (It seems like we all start with sweet wines doesn’t it?) After graduating from college, he worked in software development for five years, but realized that was not his passion.  He knew the answer would involve wine, but he wasn’t sure in what capacity.

He decided to try winemaking,  starting with making 5 gallons of Zinfandel in his kitchen.  Some years later, he  and his wife Kendall found themselves making 300 cases of “garage” wine.  They decided to jump in with both feet and established Carlisle Winery & Vineyards in 1998.  They’ve focused on old-vine Zinfandel, and red Rhône blends, until the 2010 vintage, when they made their first white wines.

In addition to their own estate vineyard, they source grapes from Sonoma County, primarily the Russian River, and Dry Creek AVAs.  Officer always been a fan of old-vine vineyards.   In fact, of the 16 vineyard sources listed on their website, half ( Gold Mine Ranch, Martinelli Road Vineyard, Montafi Ranch, Pagani Ranch Vineyard, Papera Ranch, Rossi Ranch Vineyard, Saitone Ranch, and Two Acres) are considered historic vineyards by the Historic Vineyard Society .

Wine

This wine is has a bit of a reputation that precedes it.  The 2007 vintage made the cover of Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2009 – it was #17.  The 2009 vintage of this wine wasn’t produced (because there wasn’t enough fruit due to a late season deluge.  Fortunately, 2010 was a better vintage. Two-thirds of the grapes  were destemmed, with the balance left as whole clusters.  Fermentation was conducted using the native yeasts found naturally growing on the grapes.  It was bottled unfined and unfiltered. It was released April 2012.

My tasting notes follow:

Inky violet color with aromatic aromas of tobacco, spice, and dark fruits. On the palate it’s focused, balanced, and smooth with cassis, plum, blackberry, spice and a hint of bittersweet chocolate flavors. Long finish…an excellent wine!  - 92pts 

Highly Recommended!  Carlisle wines are sold directly to mailing list members.  According to their website, the mailing list is currently closed. However check here to find this wine.

Details:

Alcohol: 15.5% alcohol.

Closure: Cork closure.

AVA: California> Sonoma County> Russian River Valley

Varietal(s): 95%Syrah, 4%Mourvèdre, 1%Viognier

Oak: French oak; 26% new

Retail: $45

Cases produced: 410

This wine is from my cellar

Cheers!

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Wine Of The Week – Gonzalez Byass “Apóstoles” Palo Cortado VORS

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My Wine of the Week (“WoW”) for June 16-June 22 is the Gonzalez-Byass Jerez-Xéres-Sherry Apostoles Palo Cortado Muy Viejo 30 Anos (Phew…that’s a long name!)

The Winery

Gonzalez-Byass was founded in 1835 by Manuel M. Gonzalez in the town of Jerez, Andalusia, Spain.   In 1855 the Byass family, distributors in the U.K., become shareholders of the Company, and the first cellars were established.  The Company changed its name to Gonzalez Byass in 1863.  The company is still run by the founding family (now in its 5th generation)  In addition to wines sold under the Gonzalez-Byass label, they also sell Sherry under the Tio Pepe label.   The Tio Pepe label was added in 1936.  In addition to Sherry,the Company also makes Brandy.

The Wine

Sherry is a fortified wine made in Spain.  As with in other European countries, the wine is named after a geographic region.  In this case, the city of Jerez in Andalucia.  Interestingly, the words Jerez, Xeres, and Sherry appear on each bottle of Sherry. Each is a different corrupted version of the area the Greeks called Xera.  Sherry is an anglicization of Xeres.

Sherry is arguably Spain’s greatest wine.  I like what Karen MacNeil states in The Wine Bible…

“But no matter what you call it, if there were justice in the wine cosmos which there is not, Sherry would be one of the world’s best-loved and oft-sipped wines. As it stands, Sherry is the unsung hero of the great classic wines, is misunderstood, underappreciated, and wrongly cast as the libation of old ladies”

As it stands today, it’s mostly a wine geek’s (guilty as charged) wine.  Because of its oxidative aromas, and the almost saline flavors of some styles of Sherry, it can certainly be an acquired taste.  That’s why I believe it’s underappreciated.

However, I think Sherry is among the most versatile wines when it comes to food pairings.  For that reason, I look for it, mostly when I’m dining out.  And that’s how I came across this wine.  We were having dinner at Nopa in The City, and it was one of a bunch of Sherry their wine menu.   What caught my eye was “30yr”.  I was also familiar with  Palo Cortado, the rarest style of Sherry, through my readings and I wanted to try some!  I’m glad I did.  This style of wine was a great match for not only our appetizers, but also for my main course.

Sherry is a unique product of terroir (in particular the microclimate in the Sherry Triangle), an aging process that includes using Soleras, and the Palomino grape, which is the primary grape used for making Sherry.  How Sherry is made is beyond the scope of this piece, but for good video about how Sherry is made click here.

There are essentially two broad categories of Sherry – Fino and Oloroso.  Fino’s  are light, dry, and crisp, while olorosos are more full-bodied, darker in color, nutty, and sometimes sweet.  Palo Cortado, a rich, yet dry, or perhaps off-dry style falls between the a Fino and an Oloroso.  In fact, Palo Cortado begins life as a Fino, then evolves as an Oloroso, developing a rich nuttiness and darker color.

This wine is sourced from a solera created in 1862 in honor of a vineyard visit by Queen Isabel II!!

Qualitatively, Sherry may be classifed as “VOS”, or “VORS” meaning the sherries are more than 20 and 30 years old respectively.  It was understanding that “VORS” stood for Very Old Rare Sherry, but looking at the label,  it literally means something else.  My Latin is rusty (Okay…damn near non-existent) but I don’t think it’s “Very Old Rare Sherry”

Sherry is aged a Solera like this:

Valdivia in Jerez, Andalusia (Spain) Español: ...

Valdivia in Jerez, Andalusia (Spain) Español: Botas de oloroso en una bodega de Jerez de la Frontera. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My tasting notes follow:

Beautiful burnt umber color with aromatic complex aromas of toffee, caramel, hazelnuts, and sea air. Only slightly oxidative aroma. On the palate medium-bodied, off-dry (from the 13% PX) initially,but somehow drier on the back palate, silky smooth, and balanced with nutty, toffee and dried fruit flavors with a very long finish. – 93pts

Recommendation: Highly Recommended.  This is an excellent example of a Palo Cortado.  If you’ve been curious about Sherry, one that is an off-dry style such as this may be more to your liking.  It’s a great match for cured meats, pate, many cheeses, and foods rich in garlic and spices.

Details:

Alcohol: 20% alcohol.

Closure: Cork closure.

AVA: Spain> Andalucía> Jerez-Xérès-Sherry

Varietal(s): 87% Palomino, 13% Pedro Ximenez

Oak: Average of 30 years in American oak barrels following the Solera system

Retail: $40 for half-bottle (375ml)

Cheers!

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