Brew Hops & Wine Stops

Showing posts with label South America. Show all posts

Like a clutch baseball player in the midst of a red-hot hitting streak (spring training, anyone?), we here at ABCFWS have been on a figurative tear lately when it comes to piling up the “hits” in captivating finds from South America. Perhaps to frame things using another analogy, one could look to the guy who gets to wax and wane vis-à-vis the many solid wine values coming out of Chile and Argentina. The recent runaway success of Casas del Bosque has apparently lead to an all-star lineup of other tasty additions to our Direct-To-You portfolio.

Here’s a brief post highlighting a few of our newest prospects:

Let’s begin in Argentina with one of the most recognizable names in Mendoza, the venerable Bodegas Norton. The history of this estate dates back to 1895 when Englishman engineer, Edmund James Palmer Norton first planted vineyards south of the Mendoza River. The grapes sourced for Bodegas Norton Barrel Select Malbec ($13) come from 15 to 30 year old vineyard parcels within Mendoza’s Lujan de Cuyo district. Fermented on native yeasts and aged in French oak for 12 months, the wine bursts from the glass with juicy red fruit, complex spice and floral nuances, plus hints of mocha and toast; this wine is a solid, line-drive Malbec to try with dry aged beef.

From a more recent wine history (circa 1996), Caliterra was founded in Chile’s Colchagua Valley initially as a 50/50 partnership between the Chadwick family of Viña Errázuriz and Napa Valley icon Robert Mondavi. Today Viña Errázuriz owns a 100% stake in Caliterra with the goal of producing quality wines that reflect the granitic, clay and alluvial soils found at their estate. Caliterra Camenere Reserva ($14) highlights the typicity of Chile’s signature grape variety with notes of lush black fruit, loamy red spices, and bright, silky texture; a great matchup for a savory lamb stew.

The addition of 4% Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc gives their Caliterra Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva ($14) pretty black raspberry and subtle cigar box nuances, complementing the prime component’s deep, black currant fruit. This one would be a real home run with a smoky rack of barbequed ribs.

So round the bases and pick up a triple-play of these new South American all-stars at the friendly confines of your hometown ABCFWS store! BTW baseball fans, pitchers and catchers report for spring training next month!

Play Ball!!!

Jim Greeley, Wine Supervisor, SW Florida

Follow me on Twitter @ABCWineJimG

With another year safely in the books I wanted to take a quick look ahead and wonder what the new year may have in store. I was trying to remember some of the things I wrote last year at this time, as far as wines I wanted to drink more of in 2014. The place I most thought I should drink more wine from was Chile…so I did. Boy, am I glad I did! What I discovered, like many of you also did, were some incredible wines for a terrific price.

The first such wines to catch my attention were the wines from Casas del Bosque. This winery was founded in 1993 and their winemaking philosophy is simply to produce high quality wine. Well, I suppose that would be the hope of many wineries around the world, but certainly is not always attained. At Casas del Bosque it absolutely is achieved and in many cases surpassed…get it, many cases! Their production of wines that ABC carries include Chardonnay ($16.99), Sauvignon Blanc ($12.99) (which is really delicious), Pinot Noir ($14.99), Cabernet Sauvignon ($16.99) and a stellar Carmenere ($12.99); they also make a Riesling and Syrah. The Carmenere from Casas del Bosque renewed my faith in this grape variety the first time I tasted it. Wonderful aromas of cherry, cedar and a touch of lavender with flavors of ripe black cherry, tobacco and spice combined with a balanced, long finish. I hadn’t tasted (or wanted to taste) a Carmenere for quite a while, but this wine has me looking forward to finding another one as good as this.

My other new favorite wine from Chile is the Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Santa Isle ($15.99). This has to be one of the best buys in Cabernet Sauvignon to come along in a very long time. A muscular, full-bodied Cabernet that is the perfect wine to partner with a grilled steak of your choice or when you’re just in the mood for a great big glass of red.

My wine hopes for 2014 came true in flying colors. Now what to do about 2015? I am lucky enough to have been invited to take a tour through wine country in South Africa in a few weeks--so for 2015 I think I will start there. Like Chile, I don’t really spend enough time or energy seeking out the wines of South Africa, so this will be one of my 2015 resolutions: to better understand and appreciate the wines of Stellenbosch, Paarl and the other wine regions in South Africa. I will let you know how it is going, as I look ahead to the next great wine discovery!

Ken Amendola, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits wine supervisor

Follow me on Twitter @abcwinekena

Last week I was especially fortunate to be invited to a very special wine dinner at the Capital Grille, hosted by Bodega Nicolás Catena Zapata. This amazing Argentine winery has been producing some of the finest, internationally acclaimed wines for many years. So to say I was thrilled to have the opportunity to taste through this incredible portfolio of wines, is quite the understatement.

The winery was started by the Italian immigrant, Nicola Catena, who left Italy and sailed to Argentina to escape the European famine in 1898. Catena planted his first Malbec vines in Mendoza in 1902. Nicola had a son named Domingo who was very much the optimist that his father was and truly believed in the future of Malbec in the high altitudes of the Andes. Years later, after the death of Domingo, his son Nicolás then took the reins and drove Catena Zapata’s Malbec to the heights it now sits upon, as one of the premier wines in the world today. Now, along with his daughter, Dr. Laura Catena, Nicolás maintains his place, creating what is considered to be among the greatest wines made today.

So, back to the dinner! This was nine wonderful courses matched perfectly by the culinary staff of the Cap Grille. The most striking and memorable wines of the evening for me were two Chardonnays…yes Argentine Chardonnay. The first was the 2009 Adrianna Vineyard White Stones Chardonnay and the 2009 Adrianna Vineyard White Bones Chardonnay; these were my wines of the night. These small production wines are easily mistaken for Grand Cru Burgundies, and I defy any of my fellow wine lovers to pick this out of a blind tasting and say, “Oh ya, from Argentina…for sure.” These two wines left quite an impression on most all of those in attendance. Now, I could go on and on about these two Chards, but they take nothing away from the red wines that put Catena Zapata on the map. From the 2008 Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard Malbec to the 2001 Nicolás Catena Zapata, these are absolutely delicious, powerful red wines. One was better than the next and, as I said earlier, matched so well with the food. This evening certainly was a check on my wine bucket list…next on the list?