WineLife365

Posts Tagged ‘2008’

December 18, 2011

Dear Mr. Claus,

I know that you’re very busy right now getting ready for Christmas Eve and checking your list twice to see who’s been naughty and nice this year.   But I was wondering – if it’s not too much trouble – might you be able to fulfill one very selfish special wish for a guy who has been good and quite nice at times naughty this year?  He does all of the cooking (except for baking) and almost always cleans up afterwards (He’s got OCD issues when it comes to loading the dishwasher).

That really, REALLY swell guy happens to be me!

If you can, I wish for an entire bottle of 2008 Achaval Ferrer Finca Bella Vista Malbec ($100) from Mendoza, Argentina to share with my beautiful wife (she’s been really good this year, too!). Just to let you know, my wife and I tasted this badass totally kickass electrifying and elegant Malbec earlier this year and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it ever since!  In a nutshell, it was probably the most badass best red wine that I tasted in 2011!

I’m not sure if you’re into wine or if you’re possibly a wine collector, but if you’re either – this is really something special!  Only 980 cases were made of this old vine Malbec.  It’s pure gold with its bold dark fruit, dark chocolate, violets and fresh herb flavors.  Here’s an interesting tidbit about the 2008 Achaval Ferrer Finca Bella Vista Malbec:  it takes nearly a pound of grapes to make just 1/3 of a bottle of this wine.

I’m really sorry for rambling on, but I guess you’re used to it by now.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Santa!

Love,

Mark

P.S. I hope you like the Domaine Du Margalleau Sparkling Vouvray NV and cookies that I’m leaving out for you.

I was just saying yesterday that I really hate (I mean REALLY HATE!) wrapping gifts.  I dislike it so much, that on several occasions I have actually paid to have presents “professionally” wrapped at various department stores.  One look at my “wrap jobs” and you’d immediately understand:  my gifts tend to look like they’ve been wrapped by an entire first grade class.  Therefore, Day 6 of the 25 Days of Christmas is dedicated to all my fellow brothers and sisters who detest wrapping gifts!

Here are a couple of gift-worthy wines for the wine lovers in your life – AND they come already wrapped for you! (Note: Bows not included)

• Who doesn’t like a little bubbly?  Nicolas Feuillatte Blue Label Brut from Champagne, France is composed of 20% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, and 40% Pinot Meunier.  This bubbly is packed with tiny bubbles swimming in pear, apple, almonds and hazelnuts.  For less than $40, you get a beautifully wrapped, elegant and super smooth Champagne that will undoubtedly make the lucky recipient beam with holiday cheer!

• Looking to add a little sexiness?  Consider giving the Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Rose as a gift instead!  Consisting of 60% Pinot Noir, 10% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Meunier, this wine pairs perfectly with  a variety of holiday dishes.  This wine also retails for $40…wrapped.

• Finally, if you think red wine is the way to go, why not tell someone that they’re “the tops” by giving them a bottle of the 2008 Uno Malbec from Antigal Winery & Estates.  This Argentine Malbec comes in a unique looking gift canister.  Both the bottle and canister showcase a distinctive copper/bronzed-looking metal “number one,” that appears as if it’s been riveted on.  Oh yeah, and the wine inside this beautiful packaging is pretty swell and very easy to swallow at $20…wrapped! 

Check out these great holiday wine gifts and save!

At some point in this lifetime, I see myself falling head over heels in love with South African wines.  I want to love them – I really do – but it sure is difficult when you feel like you’ve been shot out of a hookah pipe when tasting them.  However, I’ll be damned to write off an entire varietal, let alone the wines from an entire country!  My tastes have evolved over the years, so I won’t let my reservations – most notably towards smoky South African wine - stand in the way of finding some exciting South African wines to share with you.

Last night…

There we were, the two of us in our little bat cave in the basement, enjoying a stack of burritos topped with charred and fried sweet corn niblets (I’ve been dying to use the word niblets in a post ), green chilies, spicy salsa and a mound of sour cream.  Not a pretty sight for a Kodak moment, so I’ll spare you the picture.

I grabbed two South African wines from Partnership Vineyards.  Partnership Vineyards is the result of a partnership between farmers and Riebeek Cellars in South Africa’s Riebeek Valley. Since 2004, they have planted nearly 60 hectares; 15 hectares dedicated to Sauvignon Blanc plantings on the farm they aptly named Partnership Vineyards.  This fair trade venture is divvied up 40% farm and cellar workers, 40% farmers and 20% Riebeek Cellars. Riebeek Cellars serves as the marketing and production arm of this unique, empowering initiative.

Our first wine was the 2009 Partnership Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc (Sample, MSRP: $13).  I’ll sum this wine up in a few words:  a mouthful of fresh pineapple laced with an herbaceous smoky undertone.  A piece of advice:  don’t over-chill this Sauvignon Blanc like I did.  Once it warmed up, the flavors really shined and paired well with those spicy burritos.

2 Stars out of 4 for the 2009 Partnership Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc.

The second wine of the night was the 2008 Partnership Vineyards Shiraz (Sample, MSRP: $13).  Unfortunately, this red gave me flashbacks of my less than stellar encounters with other South African reds.  Right off the bat, its savory smokiness had me gasping for air.  The combination of Slim-Jim, tobacco, vanilla, menthol and a slight hint of plum was all a bit much for me at first.  This wine needs a lot of time out of the bottle to let off some smoke before consuming.  It was much more approachable and appealing on the second day.

2 Stars out of 4 for the 2008 Partnership Vineyards Shiraz.

Ok, what word in this title doesn’t quite fit?  If you said, “Bordeaux” – give yourself a big attaboy (or girl) and slap yourself on the butt!  Most wine drinkers (at least the ones I know) wouldn’t include ALL of these words in a sentence meant to describe wines from one of the most storied wine regions.  In an effort to change this perception and to elevate awareness about reasonably priced (i.e., under $20) Bordeaux wines available in the US, the folks at Planet Bordeaux initiated a campaign to educate, share and showcase examples of what Bordeaux, and in particular Bordeaux Supérieur AOC wines, has to offer consumers in the under $20 category.

Yesterday, we decided to try the 2006 Château Cablanc Bordeaux Rouge and the 2008 Château Majoureau Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge with grilled salmon and a thick piece of grilled steak .  

The first wine we tasted was the 2006 Château Cablanc Bordeaux Rouge (Sample, MSRP: $13 US).

Right off the bat – before ever seeing the vintage date on the label – I thought to myself, “this wine has seen a few moons.”   Reason being that the color of the 2006 Château Cablanc Bordeaux Rouge was a tad cloudy and had a dull ruby color to it.  That being said, though, we don’t judge any wine by how pretty it looks in the glass – it’s all about how it tastes.  As my wife and I tasted the 2006 Château Cablanc Bordeaux Rouge, I commented several times that it tasted a bit tired; it was not at all vibrant and tasted one-dimensional to me.  Made of 60% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, it lacked any interesting herbal and spice flavors.  I kept it open for a few hours, in hopes of tasting some violet and black currants; unfortunately, over the course of the evening, I just couldn’t find them.  2 Stars out of 4 for the 2006 Château Cablanc Bordeaux Rouge.

Our second rouge of the evening was the 2008 Château Majoureau Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge (Sample, MSRP: $15 US).

Like the Château Cablanc Bordeaux Rouge, the 2008 Château Majoureau Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge is comprised of 60% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon.  Unlike the first red, though, the 2008 Château Majoureau Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge exhibited a beautiful vibrant ruby color.  How did it taste?  This claret coats your entire palate – front, middle and end – with raspberry, strawberry, cloves, violets and black current.  AND…I absolutely loved the chewy tannins gripping my teeth and gums with every sip!  Now this is what I was hoping to discover in an everyday-sipper, red Bordeaux!  3 Stars out of 4 for the 2008 Château Majoureau Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge.

For more information on these and other Bordeaux wines check out Planet-Bordeaux.com.