Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Francois Lurton Hacienda Aravcano, "Clos de Lolol" '07 $20


Colchagua Valley, Chille

First off, this was an amazing wine!  I wasn't sure what to expect however I'm always a fan of red blends.  I think it's just finding the right balance and grape varietals to marry together.  Something all of us can thank a good wine maker for doing.  With a blend of Syrah 36%, Cab Franc 33% and Carmenere 31% it's pretty much equal for all 3.


Taking the blend aside, this will be a bottle I buy more of.  The aromas were filled with blueberries, ripe plums, hints of cracked pepper corns and toasted cedar.  Warm flavors of crushed blackberries, plums and hints of mocha made for a wonderful mouth feel.  Medium body, soft tannins and a slightly dry yet clean finish gave this wine high rankings for me.


The wine is aged in French oak for 18 months which is another reason I believe it has such a great combination of pleasing aromas and flavor.  I served it with an Ancho Chille & Brown Sugar rubbed pork tenderloin.  Seared and finished in the oven for a perfect match with this wine.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Cruz Alta, Malbec '10 $13


Mendoza, Argentina

Crushed dark cherries, plum, subtle oak and what some might call a barnyard aroma all blended together to give this wine an interesting start. I wouldn't get too concerned on the barnyard thing as being anything disgusting. This is mostly to describe a wine that is young and the acid & tannins are up front while the fruit flavors are hiding behind. This could be also called a "backward" wine. Sometimes a backward wine will open up with aeration in your glass or a decanter. I can attest this wine definitely improved over time.

The flavors held together dark berries and hints of cocoa to offer up a nice balance on this easy drinking red. The body is somewhat light which could make this a good every day drinking wine. The finish was clean and I could see this going well with roasted chicken or grilled fish. I had it with a few aged cheeses before dinner which went quite nice. Gouda, Cheddar and Pecorino Romano were included in the selection.
 
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