2011 Pfneiszl Kekfrankos "Ujra Egyutt" Sopron Quick Review

So its been awhile since I've posted anything new due to an extremely busy summer where I spent lots of time sipping wine but very little taking notes or writing about it.  In the interest of keeping more active online, I have decided to add "Quick Reviews."  These will have less background story on the winery, region, etc...and be just more to the point on the wine, so here goes...

The Basics:  From the Sopron region in northwestern Hungary, the wine is made from the Kefrankos (aka Blaufranksich) varietal.

In Your Glass:  The wine is garnet red in color

On The Nose:  Red fruit dominates the bouquet.  I get some strawberry, sour cherry, some floral notes, and just a bit of barnyard that doesn't overwhelm.

On The Palate:  Sweet and sour cherry fruit that is beautifully balanced with nice acidity and a bit of minerality.  Light bodied with very mild tannins.

Overall:  This is a very nice, easy drinking wine that can be had for under $15.  It's a lighter red that is very food friendly and versatile.  We paired it with some grilled Hungarian sausage and it worked very nicely.  This is also a great summer red that benefits from a little chill before serving on a warm summer day when you just don't want white.

Cheers!

2008 Vinarija Dingac Postup

A few weeks ago I tasted an wrote about my first Croatian wine, the Frano Milos Plavac http://acoupleofwines.blogspot.com/2012/11/2008-frano-milos-plavac.html  I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of that wine and wondered if it was just one good wine, or if there was something to the relatively unknown wine regions of Croatia.  Since then, I tried a few more Croatian reds from producers like Bibich and Dingac, and I'm here to say that Croatia wine is the real deal.  The wines are unique and interesting with definite terroir, and there are some winemakers who know what they're doing.  If you want to try some Croatian wine, like the Vinarija Dingac Postup that is today's subject, you can order them online at www.bluedanubewine.com

The 2008 Vinarija Dingac Postup is an almost brownish brick red in your glass.  The nose brings very nice red berry fruit that is dominated by the distinct smell of fresh, homemade strawberry jam.  Underneath the fruit, there is a really nice element of fresh herbs that is reminiscent of the garrigue that comes through in wines from the Rhone Valley.  Smelling the rosemary and thyme made me want to go the garden and cut some fresh herbs to cook with.  In your mouth, some really interesting things happen with this wine that is made from 100% Plavac Mali grapes.  The red berry fruit from the nose still comes through, but it is much more of a background player.  When first opened, the wine is almost overwhelmed by flavors of wet rocks.  There is also a nice spicy element on the mid palate and then the stony tannins and decent acidity give the wine a subtle but rather long finish.  Its also important to note that this wine changed quite a bit over the 90 minutes or so that we drank it.  The gravelly element that was so strong when first opened, really calmed down after about an hour and was replaced with some more spice and subtle notes of sour cherry. 

Overall, this was a really good and very interesting wine that retails in the mid $20s.  Its very food friendly and versatile.  It would be perfect with cured meats and cheese, or with slow cooked meats like braised short ribs.  I also think its medium body and flavors would go well with pork.  If you can find some, give a Croatian Plavac Mali a try.  You won't be disappointed.

Cheers!          

2009 I Campi Campo Vulcano Soave Classico

Soave. Easy enough to say compared to some other Italian wines, but it kind of sounds funny doesn't it? Just saying the word makes me think of that awful Gerardo hit from the early 90's - "Rico Suave." Up until now, Soave also hasn't conjure up the greatest wine memories for me. When I think of Soave, I think back to its original heyday when my parents served it out of jugs and it was so bad that as an underage drinker, I had no desire to steal it out of their fridge. Its safe to say that these thoughts of Soave don't exactly take me to my wine happy place, but that all changed for me a couple nights ago when my new friend Melissa at 67 Wine on Manhattan's Upper West Side recommended a great Soave for me to try.

Before I get to the wine, lets talk a little about Soave in general. Soave is a wine that has suffered abuse at the hands of some larger producers as well as governing bodies, but recently a core of producers are working to produce better quality wines and increase the reputation of this region in the Veneto. There are DOC and DOCG zones in the region and both require the use of at least 70% of the Garganega grape, with many other white varietals allowed to complete the blend. The additional varietals are dependent on whether its a DOC or DOCG. There is also a "Classico" designation for wines made from grapes that are grown in the oldest parts of Soave in the hillsides.

The 2009 I Campi Campo Vulcano Soave Classico is a light straw color that moves towards clear at the edge. The nose is somewhat closed, but there are some nice citrus elements of lemon and grapefruit. On the palate you get more of the same citrus with pineapple and some other tropical fruits but without any sweetness. There is also some very interesting minerality. For me, the most enjoyable part of this wonderful Soave was the crazy cool finish. I got a really unique, refreshing, and mineral drying sensation on the top of my tongue with long lasting waves of mouthwatering acidity on the sides of my tongue on the very back of my palate. It was fascinating and like nothing else I have ever tasted. I tried this wine amongst many others in a quest to find some new white varietals that my wife and I can both enjoy. Mission accomplished with the I Campi Campo Vulcano Soave!

Pair this with a glass and some sunshine. At a price of just under $20, I'll be buying much more of this to enjoy by the pool this summer with cheese and crackers or other pre-dinner fare. It could also pair nicely with lighter chicken and fish dishes. No more thoughts of jug wine and bad 90's songs for me anymore. Thoughts of Soave can now take me to some very good places.

Cheers!

2007 San Pedro 1865 Single Vineyard Syrah Los Quillayes Vineyard

So I must admit that for quite some time I was guilty of the crime that I see wine retailers and consumers committing all the time. Simply put, that crime is not paying enough attention to the wonderful and unique wines being made in Chile this days. It seems that in the press, on retail shelves, and in the hearts and minds of consumers, Argentina gets all the attention in South America. Don't get me wrong, I think Argentina is great, but I also think Chile is fantastic and quite a bit different from its neighbor to the east. Where Argentina is really good at one thing, Malbec (and arguably Torrontes too), Chile has an amazing diversity of microclimates in its little vertical slice of South America. Depending on where you are in Chile, you can find great wines that are really good values made from Carmenere, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay, and even a little bit of Pinot Noir. Our recent wine rut (I say that in a good way) has been with Syrah, so I have been exploring some Chilean Syrahs to see how they hold up against the rest of the world, and the results have been pretty darn good.

The 2007 San Pedro 1865 Los Quillayes Vineyard Syrah is a deep, garnet red in your glass. When first opened, this bottle smelled a little bit like a hickory smoke bomb went off, but after about 30 minutes in decanter that settles down and you get very pleasant smoke and game along with some blackberry and just a little bit of bell pepper. On your palate, you get enjoyable but subdued blackberry fruit upfront and some smoky bacon on the finish, and the tannins are already pretty mellow. Although the alcohol is pretty high at 14.5%, the profile of this wine leans more towards the Rhone than it does Australia. It is also has some unique qualities, like that very subtle bell pepper, that just taste of Chile, and that's one of the things I really like about Chilean wine - they exude terroir.

From a pairing standpoint, this wine makes me want cheese, but it is pretty versatile. It could also go with grilled red meats or even some smoky BBQ. At a price of only $15, its a pretty strong value.

Cheers!