In my…commitment…to understand the scope and reach of Bordeaux’s varietals in their blended forms, I had a packed week/weekend featuring three of the five (Cab Franc, Sauv. and Merlot), blended with a few additional curveballs.  The lay of the land is quite interesting. I put the Nolados and the Cambra at the top, the Geol and Picque Caillou on the bottom.

I hope to try North and South American efforts plus an Italian to complete the circle.

Dominio Buenavista, Veleta ‘Nolados’ 2005

~$14US, 40%, Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Cabernet Franc and 20% Tempranillo, Vino de la Tierra Contraviesa Alpujarra, Granada, Spain

Deep ruby-purple. Heady aromas of plum, cassis, supported by red cherries and a subtle earthiness and minerality beyond. On day 1, the fruit was had big presence front and center, but it was not overpowered by the acidic lift and fine, but tight tannins. Deftly integrated oak - some spices and caramel, but again, balanced and harmonious. On day 3, the wine was generously evolved, smooth as silk with secondary and tertiary flavors and aromas…leather, tobacco, and a dusty, gravelly road. Tons of old world character lurking behind ripe-new-worldly fruits. And sweet tannins moving towards a clean finish.

I would have probably overlooked this wine, had it not been for a lucky tasting with the head of the estate, Dr. Juan Palomar and wife, locally last year. Their efforts are truly a great success -  This wine is a home run and an astounding value.

__

Rafael Cambra ‘Dos’

~$20US, 50% Cabernet Savignon, 50% Cabernet Franc, Valencia, Spain

While his Monestrall-based ‘Uno’ was less impressive to me, the ‘Dos’ delivered the goods. Deep dark violet color. The shy nose that opening up over the course of 5-6 hours - showing cherries and red currant, with a floral overtone. A little wet straw, bay leaf, green pepper and orange-zest too. The palate was full and vibrant, with a great acidity and structure - which softened to become almost lush, aside from some alcoholic bite on the backend. There’s a zesty Priorat-like schiste flavor on the finish. Sturdy.

This is a very precise and focused wine, with a understated elegance and an exotic streak. Bordeaux meets Priorat. Only a smidge less ABV would’ve made this classic. Maybe the 2004 or 2006  are a little less hot - I hope to try.

__

Thomas Cusine ‘GEOL’ 2005

~$21US, 65% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 8% Carinena, Costers del Segre, Spain

A Monsterous blast of fruit from popping the cork to pouring…This is a ripping, ripe, large-scaled wine, and not your father’s Merlot. Lots of stewed fruit, plums, blackberries, and cherries. Some disintegration with a sweet syrupy oakiness, which turn me off a little. Very concentrated. The tannins seem medium, but the alcohol definitely seems hotter that the 14.5% ABV on label. But beneath lies an energy gives the wine momentum and keep it from flabbing out. This is a full-throttle primary fruit monster right now…It may become more complex and settle down, but there is plenty to enjoy if you’re in the mood now.

–

Château Picque Caillou 2005

~$20US, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux France

Beguiling aromas of Cherry cordials, tobacco, Spanish cedar, and sandalwood. Interesting and full of character - but a little thin through the palate. Clean minerality in the finish. Firm tannins and forward acidity probaby portent a good chance of fattening up in bottle over the next 3-5 years. Wait on this one - while the nose is cool - the palate is dissappointing right now.

~15$US, 100% Cabernet Franc, Bourgueil, Loire Valley, France

The unsung red wines from the Loire Valley tend to be my goto wines when I’m having trouble deciding on a food-wine pairing. They tend to be lighter-bodied than most domestic reds, and less of a gamble in the sub-$20 range in terms of oaking/manipulation/obliteration that can rob a younger wine of it’s food-friendlieness.

The major red grape of the Loire is Cabernet Franc (Cabernet Saugivnon’s old-school Dad - Sauvignon Blanc being the Mom), and in regions like Chinon and Bourgueil the varietal has been taken to great heights in terms of quality and experience. The best of these wines are very age-worthy and in the past they’ve held as much esteem as great Bordeaux. But as daily drinkers, they offer solid values for the old-world palate.

This entry-level Bourgueil is a little shy on the nose, but typical sugar-snap peas and bing cherries come through. The nose is echoed on the palate - but much more lively and snappy - with an over-riding cleanliness to the fruit. Some Bourgueils can get a little “boggy” with wet leaves and soggy tobacco - but this stays out of the muck with bright cherry and some hot spice (cinnamon?) flavors. Great acidity and medium-fine tannins make this terrific with any meat dish that has a lots of vegetables along with it.

Sleek but solid, and not over-the-top in any one aspect.

~$15US, 100% Cabernet Franc, Bougueil, Loire Valley, France

Via Kermit Lynch. Berry patch vs. vegetable garden. Fresh spinach and tart cherries, with a slight bell-pepper aroma. I expected a bit more brawn given the vintage, but the wine proved to be light-medium bodied with surprisingly bright acidity. Dusty tannins smoothed out and sweetened as the wine breathed. Chalky mineral-laden finish. Oh-so-drinkable weeknight food wine - it was empty when I went for that last glass.

Old-skool, old-world Loire Cabernet Franc, for pasta primavera and grilled chicken. Another year or two in bottle would beef up this this mustachioed-vest-wearing-sonumagun-of-a-wine.

~$13US, 100% Cabernet Franc, Saumur, Loire Valley, France

Wine Blogging Wednesday 47 is upon us, and this month the theme is simply the letter ‘S’. Slim pickins in the Bestdrinkever HQ cellar - It was either this Saumur, a Spatburgunder (which just felt wrong), or a choice of Syrahs (too ordinary).  My daughter thought this one looked cool, especially the kitschy alligator-skin capsule that just screamed ‘drink me’.

The Saumur Rouge (Saumur also produces Blancs with Chenin Blanc) poured a deep magenta purple, and had an unmistakable pickled jalepeno pepper spice on the nose. There was something ‘twiggy’ or ‘leafy’ about this wine on the nose and palate - a crispy vegetal/earthiness that overwhelmed any fruit character. A big bolt of acidity and astringent tannins on the backend gave the wine an overall inaccessibility. Food pairing is a must - Just not sure what exactly…maybe rabbit or game with a mushroom ragout? Cheeses? Twigs?

While I routinely enjoy old-world old-school wines, and I prize acidity and earthiness quite a bit - this  didn’t really tickle me as much as I’d expected. Maybe more time in the bottle would help the mid-palate fatten up - but more time in the glass just made it skew more tart and thin. I respect the Chateau’s natural winemaking techniques, non-filtration, and low yields, but I’m just not feeling this particular bottle.

Domine du Haut Châssis Croze-Hermitage ‘Les Galets’ 2005: A tiny bit of cork taint mars the nose and palate. Still,  lots of fruit, good balance and firm backend structure. Quite a bit of vanilla coming through on the finish.  If I had another bottle of this 100% Syrah, I’d give it 3-5 years, when it would have more to offer.

Domaine De La Butte ‘Perrieres’ 2006: Midnight Black in the glass. Wild ride of a Cab-Franc. Massively funk-da-fied; barn straw vs. crude oil, raspberries, dried leaves. Big palate, bursting with fruit and funk, held together with an assertive tannic backbone. It truly took 24 hours to integrate and reveal more secrets and typical flavors like fresh herbs, tomato, and black currant. Very cool…maybe too funky for some, but full of life and energy.

85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petite Verdot, from a Magnum

A serious cabernet in a read-to-drink style. Deep purple/red. Black currant and blackberry nose; absolutely classic Napa cabernet. Juicy mouthfeel with a framework of fine but nicely perceptible tannins and acidity. Opened over time to deliver secondary spices; clove, cinnamon and rosemary. Thankfully no green flavors, and no oak monster.

A perfect steak wine, and exemplary in it’s flavor profile and character. Really fun to drink, reminding me of a more focused and linear Prisoner. And the larger format was sweet. Worth seeking out.

~$22US, Haut-Medoc, Bordeaux, France

2005 in Bordeaux is apparently the-vintage-of-all-time-best-ever-cuz-its-got-the-cures-etc, according to those who know about that sort of thing. I don’t drink too much Bordeaux, so when I saw this, I figures I’d see what the hoopla was about before dropping dime on something bigger to keep for our wedding anniversaries. This is a left-bank Cru Bourgeois, I’m guessing primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, with tad of Merlot and Cab Franc as well. The shop said to give this plenty of air, so I did - it starting putting itself together with 4-5 hours of decanting. Funny thing - it was still improving @ the 8 hour point. Wow.

The color, deep garnet. A rich and opulent nose, with blackberries, red currant, some leather. A tiny bit of grass and earth present, but none of the bell-pepper notes that turn me off with cabernets. Just fantastic in the mouth; velvety, but medium-bodied - lighter than the nose let on. The palate transitioned from ripe black fruit and tobacco, towards a balanced acidity, all held together with fine but firm tannins. Great dry finish, with notes of glycerin and cedar. Masterfully oaked, just a hint of sweetness on the backend showing that this probably saw very little new wood.

Overall, this was a simply a delicious wine and a strong value @ 22 bucks. It offered great elegance for the price, and surprised me with the acidity and structure that make this super-red-meat-friendly. It did not overpower with any 1 aspect, and came together just right with air. This has enough fruit and structure to live a long life in the bottle. I’d love to forget about a bottle of this for 5-7 years and see what dimensions it takes one. Kudos winemaker, I think I could like Bordeaux after all.

~ $45US Cabernet Blend, St. Emilion, Bordeaux, France

I will put it right out there - I might not be a Bordeaux kind of guy, but I’m always willing to try new things, and this seemed interesting. This wine is opaque dense and inky, with a lively nose of currant, blackberries, tobacco, black tea, and damp soil. Truly a fascinating nose - an outgowing mix of fruit and earth. On the palate, very silky and smooth - too smooth that it was hollow and flabby. The middle seemed to have fallen out or closed up - it just disappeared. I felt myself really waiting for some firmer structure - via tannins or acid to support the promise of the nose. It ended with a nice long herbal finish with a touch of menthol.

This had a lot going for it, but unfortunately there was a strange void in the middle of the wine. I am inexperienced with this wine - it could be too young yet, or perhaps it started it’s life on the riper side and now the fruit is starting to wane. It just went soft, and to some that may be elegant or intriguing, but to me it was kinda boring.

~$14US 100% Cabernet Franc, Saumur-Champigny, Loire, France

Nose: Red cherries, Autumn leaves, damp soil
Palate: Rollercoaster; Begins very broad and round, giving the illusion of big red fruits (like a big California Pinot), but transitions through the palate towards a leaner, almost bright finish. It never feels sweet, although as the tannins kick in later on the palate, the sweetness resides and the acidity plays the balancing role. Nice earth and fruit interplay.
Finish: Tobacco, very firm and vigorous.

Fresh and stimulating - but easy to drink. This Cab Franc displayed more earth and fruit than vegetables, and a mercurial palate. A great “gateway”wine to the Loire region. I would bet this will improve over the next 3-5 years in bottle as well. A perfect autumn lunch wine.

~$17US Claret blend: 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot, and 10% Malbec, Columbia Valley, Washington

Nose: Black currant, bell peppers, pine sap
Palate: No doubt the strong suite here: Well-integrated tannins, smooth and round on the palate. Bell pepper again.
Finish: Slightly artificial caramel and vanilla notes detract from the overall restraint and balance

Easy-drinking. Well-crafted, generous, and balanced. A terrific value, but not blowing my mind with any 1 aspect or an overall impression…