Tag: flavor

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Yes, there are decent sweet wines

Most wine aficionados, geeks, and the pinky lifters look at sweet wines as “syrupy sweet little nonentities” that should not be taken seriously and dismiss them as undrinkable trash. Unfortunately, in some cases, they happen to be right. This country, whose citizens are known to have a monstrous sweet tooth, has been subjected to some incredibly poor sweet wines that have nothing at all to offer them except being an inexpensive, slightly alcoholic, grape flavored, soda pop without the bubbles.

Enter Bordeaux France, the ancestral home of many of the world’s fi nest wines, some of these being sweet wines. These wines are so popular in Europe (more specifically in Russia) that we rarely see them here. Sweet wines, often called Dessert Wines, display all of the charm and character that made the classical Bordeaux wines famous and are once again appearing on our shores. Might I suggest that we drop our sweet win prejudice and give these wines a fair trial?

Just FYI, Château d’Yquem, a Bordeaux sweet wine, was awarded the highest rating a Bordeaux wine can achieve, Premier Cru Supérieur, and sells for $250+ a bottle.

Let’s start by stating one very important point: it is ILLEGAL in every wine producing country of the world to add sugar to wine to sweeten it or increase its alcohol content; in ancient Germany, the penalty was death. Wines are made sweet in Bordeaux when growers take the gamble of losing their entire crop to frost or disease and leave the grapes on the vine long enough to create natural sugars enhanced by a good fungus called botrytis cinerea. The botrytis not only enhances the grape sugars but also adds its desirable and distinctive flavor and aroma to the finished wine.

2015 Château Dauphiné Rondillon 750 ml ($42).
This wine, as do all of the Bordeaux sweet wines, displays a golden color that is almost hypnotizing and eagerly invites the first sip. The aroma is outstanding, displaying wildflowers, citrus, and summer stone fruits. On the palate, the wine presents peaches, honey, crème brûlée, tangerine, and the unmistakably pleasant flavor from the botrytis. These all continue to the finish where they seem to last indefinitely. This is a prime example of a Bordeaux sweetie and may change your mind about sweet wines forever.

2019 Château La Hargue 375 ml ($15).

This wine presents a brilliant golden color and an attractive aroma of exotic fruit, citrus, and vanilla. The aroma proceeds nonstop to the flavor, where it is enhanced by the sweetness. The finish will impress you with its extraordinary length. If you believe that all sweet wines taste the same, the 2019 Château La Hargue will change your mind.

2018 Château Tanesse Palissades 375 ml ($15).

Another melody of a similar tune, however, this one has incorporated the Muscadelle grape into the blend for added interest, depth, and color. This is truly a summer wine as it very prominently displays the aromas of summer  flowers and the light-colored summer fruits. There are hints of citrus, such as tangerine and grapefruit, which carry on to the flavor and then transition to a fresh and fruity, almost overpowering, finish. This wine could be considered the perfect ambassador for sweet Bordeaux wines.

Château la Rame 750 ml ($35).

This wine is the most kaleidoscopic of the quartet, presenting an ever changing experience. Here too, the wine shares similar flavors and aromas to all Bordeaux sweet wines but presents its flavors in a different order, making for even greater interest. It is the summer fruits that take preference over the floral aromas. These fruits carry through to the flavor and are amplified in the finish. This wine, like all of the others presented here, can prove to be the perfect end to a perfect meal.

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You never forget your first

Among the first wines I ever wrote about were those of Wente Vineyards (https://wentevineyards.com). Like a first kiss or first date, I never forgot the occasion and it always lies safe and secure among my cherished memories. Over the years, it has slipped into the background along with some other things that I have learned over my lifetime, but it has never left me.

Years later, it was with great joy that I was privileged to reacquaint myself with my old friend. The big question was, “Would they still be as I remembered them, or had they succumbed to the current ‘bottom line’ business philosophy?” The answer was a resounding NO.

The years have been kind to Wente. The wines I sampled seemed bigger, better, and with greater depth than I remembered. Also impressive, the wines had not taken the popular route and priced themselves into the stratosphere, but instead have remained in the affordable range.

Wente 2018 Livermore  Valley Southern  Hills Cabernet Sauvignon ($20). Let’s begin by saying that this is not one of those cabs that will make you swoon in ecstasy with the first sip. It is a wine that has been made to accompany red meat dishes without overpowering them but will also fit well with many vegan foods. All of the interesting and enticing flavors found in more costly cabernet sauvignon are present in this gem. The lush flavor of berries, ripe cherries, and cassis are underscored by a gentle oak sensation.

The Wente 2018 Livermore Valley Southern Hills Cabernet  Sauvignon is a prime example of a well-made, California cabernet sauvignon. It can proudly hold its head high when compared with other California cabs in the same price range. it will revive your faith in the possibilities of chardonnay.

Wente 2018 Riva Ranch Chardonnay ($22).
This wine is typical of all the wines from Wente — luxurious, well made, and elegant. Throughout the entire process of making this wine, extra care has been taken, from the selection of the grapes to the winemaking procedures. All of this tender care results in an impeccable wine of great character and distinction. This wine features green apple and tropical fruit in both the aroma and flavor. Coupled with this is a positive oak and vanilla flavor. Unlike many of
the lesser chardonnays, this wine has a long, fruity, and captivating finish. Try this wine with seafood as well as almost any poultry-based dishes and I am sure it will revive your faith in the possibilities of chardonnay.

Wente 2018 Morning Fog Chardonnay ($18).
Wente Morning Fog; the name alone says it all. The cool morning fog that blows over the vineyard helps produce the delicate flavors and aromas in a full-flavored chardonnay. All too often, the very sensitive chardonnay grapes get baked by the sun, resulting in higher grape sugar which, in a dry wine, increases the alcohol when fermented to dryness. Too much alcohol then requires some additional processing to reduce it. As a bit of FYI, the fabled chardonnays of France are grown in a district that is about as far north as fine grapes can be grown. This is why there can be massive differences between chardonnays from producer to producer.

The Wente 2018 Morning Fog Chardonnay offers a fine wine at a reasonable price. This wine is heavy with aromas of summer fruits, vanilla, and oak. All of these scents are incorporated into the flavor with an added sensation of big, ripe raisins. Like all of the Wente wines, there is a long and fruity finish that lasts in the mouth for a bit after it has been swallowed. This may not be the wine for wine snobs (it’s not expensive enough for them) but it certainly can fi t the bill anywhere a Chardonnay or a really fine sipping wine is called for.

 

 

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Whiskey primer for budding aficionados

For many, the different styles of whiskey often confuse and scare off newcomers. The wide variety of taste profiles and the almost snobbish vocabulary aficionados use turn away many who want to learn more about whiskeys.

First, some history. Whiskey is a distilled alcoholic beverage that likely originated in the monasteries of the British Isles. The word Whiskey is believed to be derived from the Gaelic word for water. Though if you tasted one of the original whiskeys James IV of Scotland greatly admired, you would find it very raw.  Renaissance era whiskeys are not aged or diluted.

Over the years, the process was refined, and the drink became more refined, as we now know today. Along the way, different styles started to take shape, often based on where the whiskey is produced.

The first main difference is what is used for fermentation. The monasteries in Scotland and Ireland used barley, which grows well in the area’s cold, wet climate. Barley is allowed to malt, which is the process of soaking the barley in water, but is halted from germination by drying with hot air. This process causes the carbohydrates in the grain to be broken down into sugars, then fermented and distilled.  When you see terms like single malt, it means the whiskey is made fro malted barley from a single distillery.

The fermented grain mixture is called mash. Mash traditionally uses a portion of a previous fermentation as the “starter,” similar to the sourdough process. It helps to ensure a proper pH level for the yeast to convert sugars into alcohol.

Starter mash whiskey, rather than that made with only yeast, is called a sour mash and the process creates acidity. Once distilled, you will not taste the acidity. You will find the Irish differ from the Scottish in distillation, where the Irish distill the mash three times, the Scottish only do it twice. Some like the cleaner taste of the Irish whiskey, while others enjoy the flavor of Scottish, especially those of the Islay style, where the peat moss is used to dry the malt, which gives it the unique smokey flavor many enjoy.

As European settlers came to the Americas, they brought their love of Aqua Vitae, meaning Vital Water, from their homeland. They adapted the recipes to the abundance of corn in the Americans to make their mash, which results in a sweeter product versus barley. Bourbon was likely started by Scots and Irish settlers in present-day Kentucky. It’s believed Elijah Craig, a Baptist minister, was first to age the distilled alcohol in charred oak barrels, giving it the unique, bold flavor profile. To this day, by law, all bourbon must be aged in new charred oak barrels and made with a 51% corn-based mash.

Back in the British Isles, whiskey distilleries traditionally used old wine and port barrels to age their whiskeys. As Bourbon became more popular in recent years, many whiskey makers switched to use old Bourbon barrels. Thus, you will find many Scottish labels stating the type of barrels used for aging,  impacting their taste profile.

Lastly, the longer you age a whiskey, the more of the barrel’s flavors are imparted into the drink. You will find the Scottish and Irish whiskeys to be aged longer than those in warmer climates. Part of that is, the evaporation process is slower in colder temperatures, resulting in a slower aging process. This is often referred to as the “Angel’s share.” You will find some fine Whiskeys like Kavalan, aged in Taiwan, or Bourbons in Kentucky, to have a shorter age duration, as the angel’s share is collected faster than in Scotland.

Hopefully, this gives you a basic understanding so that you can pick out a great gift this holiday. Or be dangerous in chatting with your local aficionado.

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My ‘aha’ moment with Ram’s Gate

It all began with an email from Ram’s Gate Winery announcing the updating and upgrading of their label and website, which proved about as exciting as an email announcing national rutabaga day. (Editor’s note: I resemble that remark.) There was, however, some interest in the name Ram’s Gate Winery as it was a name I had never encountered. Some judicious research turned a question into one of those very pleasant “aha” moments.

Ram’s Gate Winery is located in the Carneros district of Sonoma County California, the place where some of the world’s finest grapes are grown. As you can well imagine, that piqued my interest. I proceeded to order some of their wine and learned that I had missed a winery that, without much fanfare, was producing excellent quality, and not simply “off the shelf” wine, but rather classical art in liquid form.

Ram’s Gate 2019 Rosé ($38). This pink wine captures all of the flavor and aroma nuances of the Pinot Noir grape and then wraps them in the free and open floral style of a rosé. Made from 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Grenache, this wine displays an aroma that will delight the senses as the flavor dances across the palate. Strawberries, raspberries, and pomegranates abound in the aroma while it is citrus which captivates the tongue.

Ram’s Gate Sauvignon Blanc 2019 ($38). Sauvignon Blanc is brought to new heights of excellence in this offering from Ram’s Gate. This wine accentuates all the fruit flavors rarely found in some of the current varieties. Gone are the overpowering grassy flavors and aromas that have always been associated with this wine, and in place are the rich fruit-tastes of nectarine, melon, and mandarin orange. Oak and vanilla are also present as under-flavors as they add their individual charm. If you have tried Sauvignon Blanc in the past and had been turned off by the grassy and vegetative aromas and flavors, try this wine; it is totally different and totally exquisite.

Ram’s Gate 2019 Pinot Blanc ($38). The Pinot Blanc grape has seen little service in the United States. One sip of the Ram’s Gate 2019 Pinot Blanc will have you scratching your head in wonderment as to why this delightful wine has been overlooked. The wine’s calling card is its rich apple, peach, and melon aroma. The flavor mirrors its aroma with a suggestion of honey and a hint of oak sitting gracefully in the background. This is an excellent wine that, because of its rarity, should be sought out and sampled.

Ram’s Gate 2017 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($48). This wine is a true child of California and reflects the fine hand of Ram’s Gate vintners; it opens with the harmonious aroma of currents, cherries, red berries, and pomegranates, accompanied by a hint of incense in the background. The flavor incorporates the elements of the aroma and merges them with blackberries, blueberries, vanilla, and oak, finishing with a fruity and full experience. I cannot say enough about this wine, nor heap enough superlatives. It is a pure delight and can accompany almost everything. If you miss this wine, you will have missed one of the great joys in the wine world.

 Ram’s Gate 2016 Hyde Vineyard Syrah ($70). This wine takes the Syrah grape to new heights and what a “wow” wine it is. Deep and dark in color, it captures the heart and soul of the Syrah grape and all that it offers. Each element making up this wine is massive; it displays a rich and inviting black cherry, plum, blackberry, and coffee aroma. The flavor is expansive and enjoyable, featuring blackberry, coffee, and spice before transitioning to a fruity finish  hat lingers on the palate for a very long time. This is very big in all dimensions; however, I can assure you that I put this wine in the “money well spent”  category.

By Bennet Bodenstein

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