2012 Cep Sauvignon Blanc

On my way home from work today I bought a mixed case of wines to enjoy over the next few weeks. I bought them from a local retailer who has been very good to us and I felt like spreading a little love around. My only criteria were the wines had to be in the $15 range and they had to be something I'd never had. I certainly hope the rest of them are better than tonight's bottle.
 

I was initially drawn to the 2012 Cep Hopkins Ranch Sauvignon Blanc, Russian River Valley by the tall Alsace-shaped bottle. I don't think I've ever seen a Sauvignon Blanc bottled in one of these. Light pale color with brassy highlights. On the nose, sweetish lemon-lime notes with a hint of yeast. Smells like a flat Sprite; and I don't mean that as a compliment. The palate is flabby with more sweet-tart lemon-lime flavors. Just a train wreck. I really expected a lot more from this second label of Peay Vineyards. Reminds me of the odd 2009 O'Reilly's Pinot Gris. A bizarre, disappointing $18.

Consumed with leftover traditional Thanksgiving fare including turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy and sweet potato casserole

The Wines of Vignobles Saint-Nabor

The wines of Vignoles Saint-Nabor is a line of wines from the south of France that Amphora recently introduced into Kansas via Marquee Imports. I got a great reception when I took these around to a number of retailer and restaurant accounts in Lawrence today. Naturally, I finished off the leftovers tonight with a hearty spinach and tortellini soup.

 

The 2012 Domaine Saint Nabor Chardonnay, Pays d'Oc shows a pretty, brilliant light golden color. Very focused nose of fresh pear and apple. Pure Chardonnay fruit here with no oak influence. I'm not certain if this wine sees any oak, but if it does, it is neutral oak. More orchard fruit in the mouth with with some pear skin and a hint of fennel. Fantastic acidity and a long, minerally finish. Quite a nice wine for about $15

The 2012 Domaine Saint Nabor Gris de Nabor, Vin de Pays du Gard is my kind of rose. Pale pink in color with tremendous raspberry, mint and dried herb notes on the nose. It's bone dry on the palate, but there's enough fruit there to keep the wine from falling into that dreaded "austere" category. A delicious blend of Tempranillo(!), Grenache and Cinsault. While nice now, I can only imagine this getting better and better when the weather warms up next spring. About $13

A blend of unspecified percentages of Grenache, Syrah, Carignan and Cinsault, the 2012 Chateau Saint Nabor Cotes du Rhone has a completely opaque color. The nose is a very fruit-forward/new world style featuring blueberry cobbler and plum notes. But the palate quickly switches gears and reverts to a very traditional, Old World style Cotes du Rhone with dried raspberry and garrigue flavors. Quite peppery; especially on the finish. Nice tannins and juicy acidity leave you craving another sip. I know there are a lot of solid Cotes du Rhones out there for $16, but I think this one can go toe-to-toe with the best of them.

Lucas & Lewellen Pinot Noir and Merlot

For my 44th birthday and I decided to celebrate with a roasted chicken; one of my favorite comfort food meals. Sides were roasted sweet potatoes and braised Brussels sprouts with bacon, cranberries and pecans. Lucas & Lewellen, one of the wineries I distribute in Kansas recently sent a few samples of wines I don't currently carry but they would like for me to add to the portfolio. From the selection, I figured the Merlot and Pinot Noir would go best with tonight's dinner.

2009 Lucas & Lewellen Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County - Pretty garnet color with just a hint of cloudiness. In the nose, beautiful aromas of vanilla, tea, black cherry and mulling spices. Maybe even a hint of forest floor in there, too. Still quite warm and vibrant on the palate with flavors of black cherry and mulling spice. Negligible tannins and good acidity indicate it's time to drink this up. Long vanilla finish. Not quite as distinctive as their Goodchild High 9 Vineyard bottling, but still a good value in the mid-teen range.

2009 Lucas & Lewellen Merlot, Santa Barbara County -Deep color shows no sign of age. A solid, medium-bodied style with fig, caramel, toast and blackberry pie notes on the nose and palate. I really like how the winemaker has balanced the richness of this wine with nice tannins while keeping it medium in body. There's lots to like in here, but it isn't overly-extracted or sweet. Just a touch of herbaceousness on the finish. I think there's a better than fair chance that we will be bringing this one to Kansas soon. Also about $16.

2007 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon

Ahh, Mount Veeder Winery. When I was still cutting my teeth on wine in the early 90s, my father-in-law told my wife and I that Mount Veeder was always a good, go-to Napa Valley Cabernet. I still remember buying a bottle of 1987 from a retailer in Atlanta for a "special dinner" back in the day. I'm pretty sure I had at least a few bottles of each of their vintages throughout the 90s and into the early part of the new millennium. I don't buy it on a regular basis any more, but I couldn't resist when I saw a few bottles of 2007 on closeout for $20 at a St. Louis grocery store last Christmas.

Things have been really hectic around the house for the last two weeks with volleyball, Cub Scouts, cheerleading, entertaining winery reps, high school football and a host of other extracurricular activities. Tonight, we had nothing on the calendar so we took the opportunity to enjoy a rare sit-down family meal with a couple of ridiculously thick ribeyes, braised Brussels sprouts and rice pilaf. I opened the last of my 2007 Mount Veeder Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley. Beautiful, deep garnet color doesn't show any sign of age. The nose is quite rustic with notes of brier, currant, coffee and licorice. The palate is fiercely tannic with super dry cocoa and dusty blackberry flavors. There's a hint of vegetation on the finish, but it is not in any way a detractor. If anything, it just adds a touch of complexity. I've had more than a few vintages of Mount Veeder Cabernets at the the 10-year mark and they only get better and better. I don't think this one is in any danger of going downhill any time soon, but I would drink it over the next few years before the rustic blackberry fruit fades. Frankly, I think the tannins are perfect right now with a well-marbled ribeye steak right off the charcoal grill.

2006 Bodegas Purisma "Trapio" Monastrell

Today started by bringing the suck. I popped part of an old filling out of a tooth yesterday morning so I spent an hour this morning getting it re-filled. Ironically, I broke the old filling flossing. My dentist joking said "yeah, that's how we keep you coming back!" So my tooth was throbbing for most of the afternoon. But that didn't stop me from making a nice dinner for the fam and myself. I battled a driving rainstorm to perfectly grill a flat iron steak and topped it with charmoula sauce. Sides were couscous from a box (yeah, sue me) and oven-roasted asparagus with Parmesan.

The wine I chose was the 2006 Bodegas Purisma Trapio Monastrell, Yecla. What an interesting wine. My first experience with this wine was back in the spring of 2011 when the retail store I was working for offered this as a wine of the month selection. At the time I thought it was backwards and unforgiving. But I saw the promise with a few years of age and the appropriate food. When the owners of the retail store closed up shop a few months ago for another opportunity in Colorado, I jumped on a few of these at a nice discount. And I'm very glad that I did as it has blossomed into a gorgeous wine.

Tonight's bottle boasts a saturated, cloudy garnet color that hasn't faded over the past two years. There's definitely no filtration going on here. The sweet black cherry, worn leather and licorice notes are bolstered by a delicious earthiness, a chalky texture and dry carob flavors. Beautifully balanced throughout with the fruit, tannins and acid all complementing one another. I would imagine this will continue to improve over the next few years.

When I purchased this wine, it was being distributed by one of the larger wholesalers. But it has recently been added to the Amphora portfolio. I'm very happy to be representing this wine in Kansas now and I hope that gives me the opportunity to continue to sample it for the foreseeable future. And yes, 2006 is the current vintage. Retails in the $25 range.

Hybrid wines and sweet potato soup

Felt like making a hearty soup with the chilly, rainy weather we've had of late. My wife found a pretty decent looking recipe in Cooking Light magazine which was basically cooked sweet potatoes and onion pureed with chicken stock and garnished with Parmesan cheese and crispy bacon. Really hit the spot with a black pepper/Parmesan toast.

I had some samples left over from today's sales rounds of some new wines we brought into Kansas about 2 weeks ago. The Hybrid wines are the second label of Peltier Station; a third generation family-run winery dedicated to sustainable farming in the Lodi region. The winery is named for an old train station where table grapes used to be loaded on boxcars and shipped eastward. A tip of the cap to Claire Augustine of Classique Wines, LLC and Claire Uncorked who turned me on to this winery.

2012 Hybrid Chardonnay, Lodi - This unoaked Chardonnay shows a light, clear color in the glass; as expected. Aromas of banana, mango and ripe tropical fruits leap out of the glass. A bit simple, but smells quite delicious. Spry and tangy on the palate with minerality and spritzy acidity. Might be a bit monolithic if you're into top flight Napa and Sonoma Chardonnay, but a very drinkable $10 wine.

2012 Hybrid Pinot Noir, Lodi - Yes, Virginia, there is a Pinot Noir from Lodi. And this one is pretty nice so long as you aren't an oak-a-phobe. Perfectly acceptable clear garnet color with a good dollop of hickory-scented wood/campfire accompanying the juicy raspberry and cherry notes on the nose and palate. No noticeable tannins. Finishes with vanilla bean and surprisingly nice acidity. A lot to like here for $10. Pinot Noir with a splash of Viognier.

2011 Hybrid Cabernet Sauvignon, Lodi - Deep, woodsy nose more reminiscent of forest floor and cured meat than a tooty-fruity $10 California Cabernet. Medium-bodied, Merlot-like palate with some nice dark fruit, vanilla and moderate tannins. Acidity on the finish seems a little artificial, but overall, a very nice value. Drink up.

Disclaimer: As you've probably noticed by now, I distribute this wine in Kansas.