Happy Hatch Day!

Hmm, I had to pick a wine today with which to fête Vinoland's feathered friends.  Yup, today is the one year anniversary of the hatching of my three original chickens; Lizzie (Lizard), Maro (Mary Rose) and Rosie (Primrose).

Just 5 weeks old when I sprang them from their cages at Rivertown Feed & Pet Country Store, they have been a constant source of amusement, and eggs, for me ever since.  I've learned a thing or two since then.  Things like, one has to be tolerant of copious amounts of poo, everywhere; and don't buy a breed of chicken that has a tendency to go broody (but if one does, be prepared for the trauma [to me] of putting a broody hen into chicken-jail).  But when all is going right, they are a joy.  And they lay breakfast, yay!

It may seem like I'm drinking a lot of value priced French wines lately (don't worry, I'm not), but this was the only wine I could find with poultry on the label.  The La Vielle Ferme, 2018 Rosé is an old supermarket-stalwart of a wine, it has been around for decades and can be usually found on the lower shelves (I paid $5.49).  The wine comes from a very reputable producer, Famille Perrin, who also own the renowned Château de Beaucastel (Châteauneuf-du-Pape).  

So how was the Hatch Day wine?  Nose - a soupçon of redcurrant maybe, not sure, rhubarb, mild hint of oregano (pronounced the English way, please) and a whiff of ozone.  Mouth - again red fruit, sour cherry this time, again rhubarb, salinity in the mid-palate and no finish.  None!   Acid?  Acceptable.  Still have to try it with food though.  Overall, a solid, uncomplicated wine.

Happy Hatch Day, girls!

Frequent Filler Program.

The title of today's post is not a typo.  I did actually intend to type the word 'filler' as opposed to the word  'flyer'.  (However, I do take exception to the American spelling of programme.  Just sayin'.)
I haven't had a drop of wine for over two weeks now because I have been dealing with a nasty summer cold.  But on the way home from work tonight I stopped at the Napa Wine Company (NWC) to pick up a growler of something to pair with dinner.  My nose is better.
After an initial investment of $10.00 for the bottle, an ever-changing selection of wines-on-tap can be had for a mere $10.00 per refill.  The NWC growler-programme also comes with a 'Frequent Filler' punch-card: for every five refills the sixth is free.  To pair with tonight's chicken dinner I chose a rosé of Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault.  Very, very nice.  And fun. And a truly genius idea.  Growl on.

From vA to aZ.

It seems that I'm on a mini wine tour of the 50 United States, well, if a paltry pair of states, Virginia and Arizona, can be considered a tour. I've said it before and I'll say it again, it is good to get out of Napa now and then, (wine-wise that is).  Except I didn't, Vinomaker did (a business trip to Arizona) and he brought back a bottle of Passion Cellars, 2013 Grenache, Cochise County. (My grandmother loved Jeff Chandler as Cochise in Broken Arrow, but I digress.)
I couldn't find out much about this wine as Passion Cellars don't provide much information on their website, but their description of the wine was spot on: "Strawberry aromas give way to subtle hints of vanilla and smoky herbal notes in this soft but complex Grenache."  For the most part I would agree with their tasting notes, except I would add that this wine (of very low colour extraction, really not much deeper hued than a rosé of Syrah perhaps), had a slightly medicinal quality that was a little off putting. And was possibly slightly oxidised.  And wasn't very complex. The wine fared a little better with food (a homemade sausage and pepperoni pizza), but, ultimately, this wine falls into the category of a one-glass-is-enough tipple.

Gott Grenache?

Get Gott?  Well, only if one is partial to overly oaked wine. 

I was hoping this Joel Gott, 2012 Grenache would pair nicely with a spicy Italian sausage pizza that I made for dinner last night: the relatively low alcohol, 13.9%, seemed promising (perhaps making this a food-friendly wine), but alas, no.  All the nice spiciness and raspberry-goodness that I expect in a Grenache just weren't there, hate when that happens.  It's a shame because I have had other vintages of this wine, and other wines from this producer, that have definitely been more palatable - and less oaky. Also, 2012 was supposed to be one of those vintages in which it was almost impossible to make a bad wine.  I did say almost.

Still, Grenache.

I just keep on coming back to this wine varietal.  The Miner Family 2012, Sierra Foothills, Grenache was really, really nice this past Friday night (with homemade pizza) and still nice, two days later, last night (with chicken and roasted vegetables).  A medium-bodied Grenache, this grape variety is probably more suited to the growing conditions in the Sierra Foothills than here in Napa.  A very easy to drink wine.
I find that Miner Family do a very consistent job with all of their wines, (except for a bottle of their Sangiovese I had once).
I bought this Grenache, one bottle only, just before Christmas at a 50% off industry only sale at the winery.  I wish I'd purchased more, but I know where there is more to be had.

Domaine of the Bee.

A decent wine, at last.  Thud and I polished off this bottle last night.  The Domaine of the Bee, 2009 (IGP Côtes Catalanes), was a fairly decent wine, eventually, that is, as it took a little time to open up.  A Granache (blended with 15% Carignan), from northern Roussillon in the south of France, this wine was a little surprising in that the alcohol was a tad high (at 15%) and you could taste it.  Yes, I know it is probably rather toasty down there on the border with Spain, but the high alcohol reminded me of some overly extracted, out of balance Napa wines that I've had.  However, the wine's ripe raspberry and spicy-herb component saved the day.
I had bought this bottle of wine for Thud a couple of Christmases ago.  Actually, I bought three bottles for him.  After last night he only has one remaining, (I do like to help out my dear brother by depleting his wine reserves when I am home).  And seeing as it was a Christmas present I was a little disappointed at the state of the label.  Whilst the main label looked fine, there just happened to be a whole extra label concertinaed to the side.  Now, of course, a mishap in the labeling process would not have a deleterious effect on the taste of the wine, but this was a gift and I'm a little shocked that the folks at Domaine of the Bee would have chosen this particular bottle to send with the other two.  Just saying.

The skinny on Grenache.

The ton of Grenache that Vinomaker was promised did not materialise.  Vinomaker was a little disappointed, but it means we are done drinking Grenache, at least for the time being.
The Skinner, 2010, Eighteen Sixty-One (El Dorado AVA) was quite a delightful wine (really a GSM with a little Cunoise thrown in).  With oodles of dark berry, raspberry and cedar-spiciness, Eighteen Sixty-One was not a particularly cheap wine, at around $27.00, but it was worth it.
The cheapest wine, at $11.49, in this little gargle was the Famille Chaudière, 2012, Le Paradou (Côtes du Ventoux AOC).  Le Paradou was great value for money and very easy on the palate, loved it.
And, now, the also-rans;
Calavera, 2011, Dalton Vineyard (Sierra Foothills AVA) $26.00.
Wow!  This wine would cure the most severe case of gingivitis, as in it would remove all gum tissue leaving the drinker with just their calavera!
Elizabeth Spencer, 2012, Special Cuvée (Mendocino AVA) $21.49.
Not bad, but certainly not great.
Yangarra, 2012, Old Vine (McLaren Vale) $24.49.
The label notes say this wine shows "elegance".  They've got to be kidding me, drinking this wine was like being hit in the mouth by a Mack truck.
Dashe, 2012, Les Enfants Terribles (Dry Creek Valley AVA) $22.49.
And terrible it was.  'Nough said.
In conclusion, I'd have to say that my little investigative experiment with Grenache didn't teach me much, except that Grenache does come in a lot of different styles from a lot of different places.  And that's the skinny on Grenache.

International Grenache Day 2014.

I actually remembered that today is International Grenache Day (IGD): Grenaches of the world unite!  Or is it International Garnacha Day?  Whichever it is, I decided to commemorate IGD 2014 with a Spanish Garnacha.  But I had to buy one first. 
To find something suitably Iberian, I took a quick trip over to Sonoma to visit Sonoma's Best which is a quaint shop with a surprisingly good Grenache selection, (a tip from Marcia Macomber, thanks).
The Borsao Monte Oton, 2012 (DO Campo de Borja) was a rather full-bodied version of Garnacha.  Hailing from Aragon, the very place where this grape variety is believed to have originated, this 100% Garnacha had fantastic colour extraction, a spicy-leathery-lavender thing going on, an enticingly ripe blackberry/blackcurrant compote vibe and a palate pleasing acidity.  The alcohol seemed a tad high at 14.5%, but this shouldn't have been a surprise considering where these grapes were grown.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, I'm happy.  At $9.99, this was a more than satisfying wine that paired well with tonight's homemade burgers.
I hope everybody's IGD was a happy one!

I believe in pink.

Vinomaker and I are still working our way through our "gargle" (thank you, Thud) of Grenaches.  Thus far, mid-gargle so to speak, there have been a couple of hits and a few misses.  This rosé offering, the Bergerie de l'Hortus, 2013 Pic St. Loup (Coteaux du Languedoc), was a definite hit.  A GSM, made in the saignée method, this delightful pink wine had plenty of ripe fruitiness going on; raspberry, strawberry and a little tropical something that I couldn't quite identify.  A little floral, a little creamy, with very balanced acidity, this was a very pleasant tipple.  Love the label too - modern, fun and very un-Frenchlike. 

A gaggle of Grenache.

I don't think there is an actual collective noun that is specific to a group of Grenache wines.  I just like gaggle and Grenache together, although bevy (as in quail), or bouquet (as in pheasants) might be more appropriate.  But I digress.
Vinomaker has been on a bit of a Grenache binge of late.  He has been promised some Grenache grapes this year and so, seeing as he has never made this particular wine varietal before, he has been out on a Grenache investigative-shopping spree (mostly Napa and Sonoma iterations).  Consequently, we both have been, and will be, tasting a fair amount of this wine varietal (whose grape is a native of the Rhône Valley) in order to get a little better acquainted with Californian-style Grenache. 
The Frith, 2012 Grenache Napa Valley, was an early standout for me; light to medium bodied, lots of raspberry (Vinomaker got strawberry), candied-cherry, a hint of spiciness and rather food friendly.  Sigh, unfortunately, in my estimation it had a tad too much oak.  Otherwise, the Frith was an intriguing little wine.
Most of the wines in Vinomaker's Grenache collection are blends containing Syrah and Mouvedre (GSMs).  But one, the Mathis, 2012 Grenache Sonoma Valley, contains Petite Sirah, Carignane and even a little Alicante Bouschet (a tinturier variety).  If I deem any of the other wines in the gaggle blog-worthy I'll more than likely post about them right here. 
At this rate, I may tire of Grenache before the next International Grenache Day, which is slated for September 19th, rolls around.  We'll see.

Ne Cede Malis.

Don't give in to misfortune.
Last night Vinomaker went down to the wine cellar to find something that would pair with our meatloaf dinner.  He reappeared with a bottle of older wine that neither one of us could remember buying.  At that point, I didn't know how old the bottle was as Vinomaker decided to blind-taste me on the mystery wine.  I did OK - Napa Valley, red blend (heavy on the Syrah), vintage 2008.  Whoops, wrong!
The Stags' Leap, 1998 Ne Cede Malis, Napa Valley Reserve is a blend of Petite Syrah (their spelling), Carignane, Grenache, Syrah, Peloursin and Mourvedre.  Erm, yes, I was a whole decade off on the vintage - the still deep, ruby hue of this wine belied it's real age.  On the nose I got hearty oakiness, rosy-lavender-talcyness and lots of mellow, red plum.  This wasn't a big wine on the palate, more akin to a lighter Rhône style, but the structure was finely balanced.  Again, red plums, floral notes, confident astringency (suggesting oak tannins to me), not the slightest hint of bitterness, but with the telltale chalkiness, for me anyway, that I often get from Petite Sirah.
This particular vintage, the 1998, was slammed by the wine press upon release.  The Wine Speculator called 1998 the "Black Sheep Vintage," the resulting wines "tough, tannic and expensive."  At 15 years old this wine is aging beautifully.  Take that, Jim Laube!
Unfortunately, the Ne Cede Malis didn't pair that well with the meatloaf, it was just so-so.  But I didn't give in to that little misfortune, besides I had a delightful Cabernet Franc waiting in the wings.
Nice find Vinomaker.

Move over California.

I just couldn't do it.  I could not limit myself to only drinking California wines this month.  I've gone Français, yet again.
California Wine Month 2012 has been a non-starter.  What had the potential of being a great marketing tool for California wines fizzled and sputtered into oblivion.  This blog was perhaps one of only a few places to even mention California Wine Month's existence.  The whole concept was generally met with great apathy the few times I brought it up in conversation with various folk.  I won't bother mentioning it next year.  So jettisoning my well meant intentions, I reverted to imbibing in an old favourite rosé when I was craving something pink the other night.
The 2011 Château Routas Rouvière is a blend of 45% Cinsault, 35% Grenache and 20% Syrah.  With a pleasing aroma of red currant, pear and fresh mint leaves this really is just a wonderful wine.  At 13% alcohol and with wonderfully balanced acidity I treated myself to 2 glasses.  And to be had for the paltry sum of $9.07 at BevMo it was a steal.
Yum!

You say Garnacha, I say Grenache.

Today is International Grenache Day - the first ever. Who knew? Apparently, back in June, a Grenache symposium was held at some French château or another. Co-hosted by British wine writer (and Francophile) Steven Spurrier it was decided, there and then, that September 24th would indeed be a feast day of sorts. It seems only fair seeing as Grenache, one of the component grapes of the venerable wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, is said to be the fourth most planted grape variety on the face of the planet.
Well, not needing much prompting, Vinomaker and I decided to imbibe in a glass of Grenache ourselves this evening whilst we feasted. It's still September (Ca. wine month, although I have strayed twice already), so I decided on something domestic - a 2008 'Horse & Plow' Grenache offering from the Alexander Valley. It's nice to get out of Napa once in a while, even if it is only via a wine glass. Whoa Neddy! This wine's got some horse power. At 14.5% alcohol by volume all the soft strawberry flavours and supple tannins that you'd expect to find in a Grenache are gone, maybe they were never there. Yikes! Guaranteed not to improve with age...hate when that happens.
Stateside, September 24th is also National Punctuation Day. You can tell by my run-on sentences and a writing style verging on criminally abusive that I am not celebrating along with the rest of America. (I wonder what these particular revellers are drinking.) I can almost hear my sister, La Serenissima, rolling her eyes across the miles...mixed metaphors permitting.
Sorry sis!