Wines to Explore: 6 Bottles of Great Grapes You've Never Tried
Item Number: 3352
Time Left: CLOSED
Value: $190
Online Close: May 12, 2016 2:00 PM PDT
Bid History: 0 bids
Description
Expand your wine palate with this set of wines donated by the parent volunteers of the Las Lomitas Education Foundation.
There are literally thousands of different grapes from which wine is produced, but just two wines make up more than 25% of all wine sold in the United States: Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. The top 10 varietals account for nearly 80% of sales.*
Here's your chance to taste some lesser-known - but still delicious! - varietals.
This lot includes one bottle each of:
- 2012 Tablas Creek Tannat (91-93 points AG)
The very name of the grape means "tannin", and the wines are typically very dark and, yes, tannic. In general, Tannat wines typically taste of dark red fruit, raspberry usually being mentioned in descriptions, though blueberry is also cited. Owing to its high tannin levels, Tannat is sometimes touted (even above red wines in general) for supposed health benefits.
From the winemaker:
"Tannat makes decidedly robust wines, with pronounced aromas of smoke and plum, significant tannins and a wonderfully spicy finish. Here at The Tablas Creek Vineyard 2012 Tannat is Tablas Creek’s tenth bottling of this traditional varietal from South-West France, known principally in the Pyrenees foothills appellation of Madiran, but originally native to the Basque region. The Tannat grape has intense fruit, spice, and tannins that produce wines capable of long aging, and it is traditionally blended with Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Franc.
The 2012 Tannat shows a dense purple-black color and has a nose of blue and black fruit, mineral, smoke, game herbs (sage and juniper), and spice. The rich palate has flavors of black cherry, smoked meat, and bittersweet chocolate with big but ripe tannins and a long, smoky, generous finish. We believe that it will drink well for a decade or more.
As for food pairings, Tannat's smoky character makes it a perfect match for roasted meats and game, as well as sausages and strong aged cheeses." - 2013 Cass Mourvedre (Silver Medal, SF Chronicle Wine Competition)
If you love Cabernet Sauvignon then Mourvedre is your bag. Mourvedre (aka Monastrell) originated in Spain and rumor has it that the seafaring Phoenicians brought it over as early as 500 B.C. It is a meaty and full-bodied red wine. The smell of Mourvedre is an explosion of dark fruit, flowers like violet and herbaceous aromas of black pepper, thyme, and red meat. While rare as a single varietal, it is actually used quite often as a blending grape in popular wines such as Châteauneuf du Pape.
From the winemaker:
"A Cass cult favorite! Normally a blending grape, this single varietal wine was aged in 100% neutral French oak barrels. The nose initially displays bright red cherry, fresh cranberry and dragon fruit scents. Mourvedre’s unique varietal characteristics of caramel, forest floor and charcuterie highlight hints of fresh cut mint. On the palate, bright acidity pops open, in the true Mourvèdre fashion. Complex flavors are showcased with notes of pomegranate, dried cranberries, whole white peppercorns and crushed geranium flowers."
- 2012 Adelaida Cinsaut
Cinsaut is a perfect grape for the Rhone Valley as it thrives in the hot, windy weather. Cinsault wines tend to be quite fruit-forward, strongly aromatic, lightly tinted, and of medium body and weight: "pretty", as Jancis Robinson describes them. The usual taste descriptors involve the lighter-red berry family. It tends to be low in tannins, and is usually best drunk while young.
From the winemaker:
"AROMA spiced plums, strawberries in black tea, nutmeg, pink peppercorns
FLAVOR red plum compote spiced with nutmeg, strawberry tea, candied citrus peel
FOOD PAIRINGS salmon cioppino with fennel garlic and tomato, grilled lamb chops with preserved lemon and mint, duck with dried figs
Cinsaut is a major player in the warm climate countries of the Mediterranean from Southern France to North Africa, and Corsica. Still rare in California it achieved notoriety when crossed with pinot noir in a South African hybrid known as pinotage. As in Many Côte du Rhône blends, Adelaida uses it to temper the alcoholic ardor of grenache and bring charm and spice to more masculine varieties. A naturally vigorous variety, it is at its best behavior at lower yields, an ideal feature of our calcareous limestone soils. Harvested in late September the fruit was fermented with native yeast in open top fermenting tanks and aged in large French oak puncheons for 19 months. Deceptively light colored, Adelaida’s Cinsaut has a supple texture with soft tannins and plush berry flavors. Drink now through 2017."
- 2010 Ca'Rossa Roero Audinaggio Nebbiolo
Nebbiolo is a red wine that was born in the mountains of northern Italy in the region of Piedmont. This is the region that’s famous for its Barolo and Barbaresco wine, which can fetch hundreds of dollars per bottle, but what many don’t realize is that Nebbiolo is the sole grape used to make these high-end wines. Often times, the Nebbiolo grapes used to make Barolo and Barbaresco are grown within feet of the grapes used to make Nebbiolo.
One of the most beautiful aspects of Nebbiolo is its scent — the wine actually smells of roses. This makes the wine wonderful for celebrating special occasions, and perfect for the decanter. In addition to this notable scent, the wine has a great amount of acidity, mouth-drying tannins and earthy flavors that go well with all types of food.
From the winemaker:
"Colour: deep garnet red.
Bouquet: intense, full scented, open, with notes of violet, peach, cherry, and hints of pepper and mint.
Flavour: rich, round and smooth. Moderate acidity and high alcohol content make the texture firm. The fruity sensations expand very slowly recalling the red fruit notes that are evident in the bouquet. Long finish with intense, smooth tannins.
Excellent with roasted red meat, game and mature cheese" - 2012 Koyle Royale Carmenere (91 points Wine Enthusiast)
Carménère was born, like a majority of the world’s prominent grapes, in the French wine region of Bordeaux. A distant relative of Merlot, Carménère was used as both a blending grape for the region’s famous Bordeaux blend as well as to create its own single varietal wine. Like its cousin Malbec, the grape was finicky in the French climate, and it often had a difficult time growing. In fact, there would be many vintages where almost no Carménère was harvested at all. Following the Phylloxera plague of 1857 that wiped out a majority of Europe’s grapes, Carménère was considered extinct.
However, as luck would have it, just before Phylloxera would hit Europe, a few cuttings of Carménère happened to be imported to Chile, whose wine region was just getting started. The vines were planted around the valleys of Santiago and almost immediately began to flourish in the new climate. Two centuries later, Carmenère is Chile’s signature grape. The grapes create a deep red wine that has flavors of cherries, blackberries and spice. It’s a savory wine that has just a hint of bitterness at the end, making it ideal for dishes involving meat.
The 2012 vintage of Koyle Royale Carmenere has an intense violet color, with pure, clean aromas coming from the forest surrounding the vineyards, with a touch of spiciness and herbal notes. On the palate, it is juicy and smooth, with firm, velvety tannins and a long, lingering finish that is influenced by the addition of Petite Verdot into the final blend. The wine can be cellared for up to ten years, and decanted up to 30 minutes before serving. - 2014 Schafer Dornfelder
The Dornfelder grape is Germany's second most planted red to Spätburgunder. The grape was created in 1955 to produce a dark-skinned variety, which results in deeply-colored wines in traditionally colder white wine climates. While this variety can come in sweet or dry versions, this one is completely dry and a perfect red for someone looking for fruity, soft wine. With its typical red plum and sweet cherry fruit flavors, this red is dark and fully flavored from start to finish.
*The top 10 varietals in the United States are: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Grigio, Muscato, Pinot Noir, White Zinfandel, Riesling, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc.
This is a Live Event Item.
Special Instructions
This item will be available for bidding at the Auction event held on May 14, 2016.
Donated by
Jay Crim and Shekar Davarya
Linda and Jim McGeever
Margaret & Chris Romero