December Wine, part 1
Ok, Thanksgiving is in the rear-view mirror. Hope everyone had a good holiday. Did you follow Doctor’s orders with one of the wines, or wines like them, that were prescribed in the last Post? If so, congratulations, you undoubtedly had a great Thanksgiving meal (unless you over-cooked the turkey…not my fault).
Now it’s December; time for some serious celebrating. Undoubtedly, you will either be hosting friends and family for a holiday gathering, or be invited to one. In either case, you need the right fruit of the vine! Because this month has more than one day where people get together and enjoy good food and drink, we will have more than one post devoted to this topic. Think of this as your first dose…
The Holiday Meal
If you are celebrating Christmas, many of you are likely to find yourself preparing and/or consuming a classic red meat entree such as Standing Rib Roast. Otherwise known as Prime Rib (Roast Beast?), this is a holiday favorite that calls for a red wine of equal stature. There are a number of good choices, and we will be exploring two of them, with “honorable mentions” to a couple of others.
Bordeaux
Perhaps the epitome of classic red wine, Bordeaux set a standard long ago and the rest of the world has tried to measure up ever since- in some cases, incredibly well as we will discover in the coming months! We will do a deep dive on Bordeaux in a future post, but for now let’s just hit some high points:
Situated in southwestern France, Bordeaux produces both red and white wine, but it is the reds that get the most attention. Remember, it is not a grape varietal. It is a region as well as a city, which you will see in the map below.
As we pointed out in Wine 101 (I’m presuming you’ve been there by now), Bordeaux is known for creating great red wine from two or more varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are the headliners, with Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot sometimes playing supporting roles.
Bordeaux has its own “East-side / West-side” thing going on, with important growing areas broadly referred to as “Right-bank / Left-bank”. This is simply a designation of what side of the Gironde River the vineyard is situated on (see map below)
Good Bordeaux can get expensive, so I tried to find a wine that exhibits some of the classic Bordeaux characteristics I want you to become more familiar with, while staying within our broad everyday guidelines. I know this is the holidays and we should splurge a little, and we will, but for now I am suggesting a $20 wine from Wine Library: Chateau de Landiras. Remember, if you cannot get this particular wine, that’s ok. Just work with a merchant you trust that can help you find something similar.
Chateau de Landiras 2014
Our wine comes from a well-known part of Bordeaux known as Graves (pronounced “grahhv”). Look on the bottom-left part of the map for the pumpkin-colored region. That is Graves. It covers a large territory. Our producer, Chateau de Landiras, is in the area just west of that yellow-colored region labeled Cerons. This property is actually one of the oldest producers in Bordeaux, going back to the 1300s. In the 1500s, a powerful Anglo-Gascon family acquired the property, but over centuries it became neglected and grapes were no longer grown. In the 1980s, the property got its third owner in 600 years, and planting began again on a handful of acres. The owner, Michel Pelissie, is committed to cultivation using sustainable agriculture, worked in traditional ways. The remains of the original castle from the 1300s are still visible on the grounds today.
This vintage is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, 75% / 25%. The wine is aged for 12 months in French oak. Bordeaux can be a little lighter in alcohol, and that is the case here with Landiras: only 12.5%.
Tasting:
In the glass, the wine has a medium ruby color. When you give it a swirl, the nose has those black fruits upfront. After a second or third whiff, maybe a little chocolate. With your first sip, you get some of those classic Bordeaux qualities: black cherry and currants. There are also oak and earth accents, which you want and expect with Bordeaux. This is a remarkably well-constructed wine for the price: fruit, tannins and minerality all in balance. Decent length as well. A “wine in harmony”.
The Bottom Line:
This wine is a great value for the price. It delivers that old world/Bordeaux experience without breaking the bank (Left or Right…get it?). For those of you who are more new world, particularly California oriented, I want you to start learning about and experiencing wines like this. Bordeaux can be such a great compliment to some of the food you will undoubtedly be enjoying this season. The challenge can be finding something affordable that delivers the whole “package”. Chateau de Landiras does just that.
Napa Valley Cabernet
“What’s he doing?? He just said he wants us to branch out from new world California Cabernet, and look where we are…Napa Valley”.
Yeah, yeah. But the simple fact is, California makes a lot of good red wine, and many of you are fans. And for purposes of our holiday meal example, a Cabernet Sauvignon from California’s Napa Valley may be just the thing! We will be doing that same deep dive in a future post into the world of California Cabernet as we will do with Bordeaux, so not to worry. Let’s get to it..
In some of the most famous wine growing regions of the world, Cabernet Sauvignon is king. Did you know that our king’s parents are Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc? Hmmm, that whole grape DNA thing could be another future post…
In Wine 101, we learned there are many different American Viticultural Areas, or AVAs. Perhaps none are more famous and unique than those found in Northern California, and in particular Napa Valley. For purposes of this comparison, I have picked a Napa Valley Cabernet that is widely distributed and should be easy to find: Joseph Carr. Joseph Carr’s Napa Cabernet can be found at Wine Library for about $26, but you may pay over $30 elsewhere.
Joseph Carr Napa Valley Cabernet 2015
Founder Joseph Carr was a sommelier before setting out on his own to found a family-owned wine business in 2005. Within 4 years, Carr started to get recognized at a national level. His approach to winemaking has been influenced by the old world, with an eye toward balance, something missing in too many modern California red wines. Terroir (Wine 101 Alert) is important, and guides Joseph Carr’s grape sourcing.
This 2015 Napa Cabernet was sourced from small growers in both the greater Napa AVA and in particular the Rutherford AVA. On the map, you will find Rutherford about half way up the “stack” in yellow. The 2015 vintage was a light crop year: a cool spring impacted flowering, but a long and temperate summer allowed the cabernet grapes to reach full potential. This vintage spent 16-18 months in French oak, and is 14.5% alcohol (compare these stats to the Landiras above; it will help you understand how they impact what’s in your glass).
Tasting:
In the glass, you see a somewhat darker wine than the Bordeaux. This is more of a deep ruby color. On the nose, those dark fruits are readily apparent. I get a little vanilla too, which is coming from the more extensive use of oak. On the palate, you absolutely get that black cherry, currant/cassis character. There are also graphite (yes, graphite, we will see this again in other wines) and spice notes. Tannins are firm here, also likely a function of the oak. Length is long. Mouth-coating!
The Bottom Line:
The 2015 Joseph Carr is a solid California Cab done in a slightly more restrained, old world style. Having said that, you still know you are drinking California. When we get deeper into California Cabernet, we will see that too often there are wines purposely made in a (sorry, wine lingo coming) “fruit-forward style”. These wines have their appeal and fan base, but they can be one dimensional. Done properly, with all components in balance, Cabernet can deliver that “oh my” moment. Going back to our standing rib roast holiday meal, if your cut has a little more fat, then a California Cabernet with its firmer tannins is the wine for you. If your meat is a little leaner, then the Bordeaux may be the better choice.
Other Suggestions
I have a couple of other ideas for you. Not going into any detail now, as they both will be starring in their own posts at some point, but absolutely worthy companions for this holiday meal.
Rioja
Remember, a region in Spain, not a grape varietal. In northern Spain, the Rioja region produces some of my favorite red wine. The grape is Tempranillo (in the Duero region of Spain, you will see it called Tinto Fino or Tinta del Toro). In Rioja, look for wines with higher quality classification such as Crianza or Reserva.
Barolo
This wine, from the Piedmont region in northwest Italy, is made from the Nebbiolo grape. Barolos are incredible wines, and can cost more, but they are usually worth it. The tannins are higher in Barolos, particularly younger ones, so only choose this wine if your meat has a higher fat content. If you want a good expression of the Nebbiolo grape, but the Barolo seems a little out of reach, try the neighboring region of Barbaresco.
That’s all for now. Until next time…Cheers!