Expect your free copy to be delivered to your mailbox inside the Globe Direct advertising packet on May 23rd and enjoy articles, recommended products, Holiday sales, food pairing advice and more!

Colonial Crier Summer 2013

An exclusive bottling of Jefferson’s Single Barrel Bourbon is now available at Colonial Spirits! Follow the link on the label for the whole story.

$29.99 while supplies last

My Irish family thinks St Patrick’s Day is hilarious.  In Ireland, they celebrate it of course, but not in the sort of over-the-top way we do in the US… really, the St Patrick’s Day celebration of Irish heritage is an Irish-American thing.  Nothing sums this up better than the craziness that is the Black and Tan, the beer drink made by floating Guinness over Bass ale or Harp lager to make a two-tone pint.  In Ireland you almost never see this, and if you do it’s called a Half and Half – depending on how late in the evening it is, if you order a Black and Tan you may wind up with a few offended Irishmen giving you a history lesson!

See, the Black and Tans were a temporary unit of British constables made up of thousands of World War One veterans who were sent to Ireland to help “maintain order” as the army of the Irish Republic fought for independence.  Although they were a quasi-military unit, they frequently took action against Irish civilians, burning private property and mistreating prisoners.  At their worst they sacked and burnt entire villages and even murdered a Catholic priest.  By the time the British government tried to reign them in, public opinion had been so affected that civilians on both islands were calling for a peaceful resolution – the establishment of the Republic of Ireland, the country we know today.  Maybe they contributed to Ireland’s independence, but the Black and Tans certainly aren’t something to celebrate!

I’ll have a few pints on St Paddy’s myself, don’t get me wrong, but I’ll do so as an Irish-American with my tongue stuck firmly in my cheek.  If you’d like to join me in giving a nod to both the US and Eire, may I suggest that you try the Black and Blue (Guinness floated over Blue Moon), the Black and Snakebite (Guinness floated over hard cider) or, my personal favorite, the Black and Trash – Guinness floated over Pabst Blue Ribbon!

The first is Kay’s Amery Vineyards Shiraz-Mourvedre-Grenache McLaren Vale 2000.  This wine is red-orange in the glass (sign of a well aged wine,) and opens with a bouquet of toffee, roasted malts, sun dried fruits, hints of cinnamon and nutmeg, all of which are encompassed by the lightest hint of eucalyptus.  The wine drinks as it smells with the added bonus of caramelized fruits and roasted nuts.  This is an exceptional example of what a well aged wine should taste like.  

“On the light side, with pretty blueberry and plum aromas and flavors shaded delicately with a touch of vanilla cream. 126 cases imported. 87 points.” -Wine Spectator.
Regular Retail Price: $39.99
Sale Price: $19.98 (only 18 12-pack cases available)

The second wine is Dog Ridge Vineyard “DV7″ Shiraz McLaren Vale 2001.  The Dog Ridge DV7, unlike the Kay’s, is 100% Shiraz from 60+ year old vines.  This wine, even to this day, is dark , rich and robust.  It shows its age a bit, both in its color and taste, but had I had it blind I would have never guessed it was 12 years old.  Ponder that for a minute or two; 12 years old.  With more red/purple hues than orange hues showing in the glass, this wines still has some life left in it.  With plenty of ripe berries on the nose, alongside caramelized nuts (typical of most aged wines) this is a perfect example of Australian craftsmanship.  

“Ripe and round, generous with its plum, cherry, espresso and exotic spice flavors, lingering impressively on the fine-grained finish. 320 cases imported.  90 points.” -Wine Spectator.
Regular Retail Price: $39.99
Sale Price: $19.98 (only 9 12-pack cases available)

For those that were fortunate enough to enjoy the Brothers in Arms, both of these wines are in that same quality category.  For those that missed out, this is an opportunity to take full advantage of.  These wines are prime examples of what aged wine should taste like, additionally, they are both ready to go (i.e. no further cellaring required).  How many time have you heard or read “this wine will be showing well in…?”  This is not the case for these wine, so the satisfaction of drinking an aged wine is immediate.  

Hopefully you will enjoy drinking these wines as much as I did trying to find them.  Let me know by leaving a comment!

I’ve really been getting into blends.’ A phrase I often hear, and I wonder why? Blending of various varietals has been a norm in winemaking since before the Greeks! 99.9% of Bordeaux wines are blends, and how about the Southern Rhone with its holy trinity of grenache, syrah and mourvèdre?! Yet why is it that I keep hearing this phrase. Why does the concept seem novel? Let’s take a quick look.

‘Field blend’ is a term that once defined a blend that had everything in it but the kitchen sink (more or less), with nearly no rhyme or reason as to how it was blended. Wineries would literally have a vineyard of mixed grapevines with nothing distinguishing one varietal from another, and harvest and ferment them together with hopes of producing a drinkable wine. Vineyards were planted with several different varieties and the grapes were harvested together and fermented together to produce a single wine. Why did they do that you ask? When making wine with little equipment to spare for separate vinification of different varieties, field blends allowed effortless (though inflexible) blending. Blending was the norm for many centuries and still is, even if to simply follow tradition.

Nowadays a ‘field blend’ is completely defined by the intentional blending of varietals. Each varietal is added for a particular reason… to give color, tannin, acidity, etc… The percentages of each indi- vidual varietal is important in order to create a balanced wine. Even with huge leaps in technology, different varietals are still sometimes co-harvested, co-fermented, or sometimes both! By controlling the production to such a degree the guess work of the drinkability of an actual field blend is no longer in question. Something good, not just drinkable, can be produced. The result is simple…a recipe for success. This allows the winery an opportunity to repeat the blend if it is of both good quality and appealing to the consumer. Producing wine in this manner seemingly cancels out vintage variation and allows the consumer ease of mind in knowing they will be able to get the same wine next vintage.

We often think of wines by their varietal name, but not all wines are made from just one varietal. When wine was first introduced to the US it was not produced the way they are now with one grape varietal, but instead produced as field blends with vague names like Claret which were applicable then, but less so now. This method, however, would later be replaced by single varietal wines with only the best wines being available as blends. These were given propri- etary names like Opus One, Cask 23 and Georges de Latour (named after a Frenchmen who revolutionized the landscape of California wine in the 20th century), just to name a few. With the downturn of the economy and waning interest in single varietal offerings, wineries have had to find innovative ways to sell their wines without damaging their reputation. In some cases, wineries have turned to blends because of a challenging vintage. If it’s too cold for Cabernet to ripen, add a bit more Merlot because it ripens earlier. “Necessity is the mother of innovation.”

American producers are finding that they can make good wine from a blend of different varietals, sometimes better than a single varietal wine. This isn’t anything new, but for the native American wine culture it is. I think that it’s a sign of maturity. Rather than focusing on the different ways to harvest, ferment and age one particular varietal, producers will be able to focus on understanding what grows well in a certain region. But that’s another conversation for another time. I’m into blends, are you?

We sent out an email the first week of February about one of the strongest wineries in Oregon; Rex Hill.  Unfortunately, we were unable to fulfill all the orders because there just wasn’t enough inventory.  I know that this is not the same wine and it doesn’t come from the same region, but one factor (the most important one) is the same, they are both outstanding.

MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2009 is a classic Pinot that is easily recognized as being a quality Pinot, and, like the Rex Hill, it’s a prime example of a terroir  driven wine.  The Russian River Valley has long been known for its hearty Pinots that display aromas of dark berry fruits, with hints of cedar and smoke.  To some this might seem unappealing, but to so many this is the way ____ (insert your preferred deity) intended, at least that is what followers of Kosta Browne, Merry Edwards and Paul Hobbs would lead you to believe.  MacM RRV 09 captured the essence of the Russian River like it never has before and managed to exhibit it in every drop.

MacMurray Ranch wines have taken a turn for the better, over the last few years, that has left me somewhat at awe.  Considering the size of the operation (100,000+ cases) I had felt that it was safe to assume they made wine for the masses and not the avid wine drinker.  Boy was I wrong.  MacMurray might produce over 100,000 cases of wine and 2,000+ 6-packs cases of  the RRV, but their goal isn’t to sell the RRV in the same manner they would sell the Central Coast Pinot Noir.  On the contrary, they prefer to hold back the wines releasing it closer to when it’s fully mature so that the consumer has a better understanding of the style and region’s affect on Pinot Noir.  This is the ideology that has been driving MacMurray Ranch these past few years, and I have to say it has done them wonders.  If they continue on this virtuous path MacMurray Ranch will only benefit from it, and additionally inspire those around them which in turn will benefit the rest of us.  

So for those that may have turned their nose away from MacMurray Ranch (much like myself,) don’t because you will be missing out on a great bottle of wine and a special experience.  The Mac RRV 09 is a serious wine for the serious consumer, a wine meant to educate those that are learning and astonish those that have given up on Russian River wines, either do to their price tags or lack of substance.  You don’t have to take my word…

“Another impressive effort is the 2009 Pinot Noir Russian River. Its distinctive earthiness is accompanied by spice box, pomegranate, black raspberry and cherry fruit. Medium-bodied with silky tannins, good acidity and fresh, lively fruit, it should drink well for 4-5 years. 89+ points” Robert Parker- Wine Advocate

The MacMurray Ranch Russian River Pinot Noir 2009 normally retails for $34.99 per bottle, for this limited time, as supplies last, it will be on SALE for $24.98 per bottle.  Don’t hesitate and think over the options, just drop everything and pick up a bottle before the sale ends. 

Ed will show remarkable expressions of Island Scotch from Kilchoman and Arran.  Featuring the Inaugural and 2.0 releases, and the Machir Bay 2012 release by the Kilchoman Distillery, the smallest distillery in Scotland.  As well, he will show a too often overlooked 10yr offering from Arran and the limited release 12yr cask strength.

The seminar is free, but space is limited so please reserve a place at either 5:30 or 6:30.  There will be open tasting and Q&A following each presentation.

Reservations can be made by emailing Tim

WS- “Is Excel open?”

Igor- “Yes, master.”

WS- “Are the columns for wine, score, and price-to-value ratio set up?”

Igor- “Yes, master!”

WS- “Perfect! Now arrange the value ratio column in descending order, but make sure no liquor store can get their hands on anything in the top ten!  GO!”

Igor- “Yes, master!”

WS- “Ah-ha, we have our list!  Now spread the good news!”

That’s just how I imagine it playing out.  Then again, I’m pretty sure picking names out of a hat would work as effectively.  But, for those that do take the Top 100 seriously, here are a few wines that are still around that made the list.

#30 Schild Shiraz Barossa 2010
#58 Perrin & Fils Vinsobres “Les Cornuds” 2009
#66 Marchesi di Barolo Barbera del Monferrato “Maraia” 2011
#71 Waterbrook Merlot Columbia Valley Reserve 2009
#75 Marques de Caceres Rioja Reserva 2005
#82 Emilio Lustau Amontillado Jerez Sec “Los Arcos” Solera Reserva
#84 Piper-Heidsieck Brut Champagne NV
#90 Skouras Moscofilero Peloponnese 2011

Best enjoyed with friends!

NiC

You may have seen a surge of so-called “red blends” at liquor stores… if you shop here often then probably not, since I nit pick through the masses looking for what I believe are the very best.  But if you don’t happen to shop here regularly, maybe you’ve noticed.  Which begs the question: what does it all mean and where does it all come from?  The short answer is extra juice.  Fortunately, I’m not a believer in short answers, so here’s the low-down.

Red blends are nothing new: Bordeaux, the Rhone Valley, Tuscany and others all built their names on their ability to produce high quality wine no matter what perils each vintage brought.  Blending a wine is a way of ensuring quality year after year because different grapes grow well under different conditions.  By diversifying the grapes in a given wine producers could limit the risk of having a really bad vintage, thereby guaranteeing some level of consistency and the return customers that consistent products bring.  Over the years, however, our knowledge of viticulture and winemaking has increased exponentially and to such a degree that even in the worst years it is possible to produce a quality wine through the use of science rather than luck.  With this increase in knowledge it has become less necessary for wineries to blend different varietals together in order to maintain a standard of quality; some still do, even if it’s for the mere sake of tradition, but as the years go by it is becoming more and more unusual.  Where it was once very common to blend some Merlot into a Cabernet Sauvignon to add body it is now more common to wait a bit longer and allow the Cab to ripen until blending is no longer necessary.

So, what does all of this have to do with Red Blends?  Let me explain.

Today’s red blends are a way for wineries to exploit a niche market that is beginning to flourish.  Where Bordeaux and “Old” Napa used blends as a way to enhance a wine, today’s red blends are a way of  dumping unwanted juice.  You see, whenever a new grape becomes trendy big wineries plant vineyards of said new phenom in the hopes that they can profit off its newfound popularity.  Unfortunately, this means that California has plenty of vineyards full of Shiraz from Australia’s heyday, Petite Sirah from the mid-2000s, and even Malbec from just a few years ago.  All of these vines produce juice, which can conveniently be dumped into one vat and labelled as a blend.  This method of mixing juice is cheaper than uprooting a vineyard and replanting, and lets the wineries create any type of flavor profile they want.  This is why wineries are investing time and money into coming up with so-called “lifestyle” wines.

“Lifestyle” wines are exactly what the name implies: wines that reflect a lifestyle.  These wines have catchy names, flashy labels and trendy slogans.  They are meant to entice a potential customer not by the quality of the wine but by the image the label presents.  These are the wines that so many will admit to having bought because of the label and nothing more.  Of course, there is nothing inherently  wrong with this, but it does seem to cheapen what makes wine special in favor of pushing it as a commodity product like Smirnoff Ice.  Wouldn’t it be head-turning to hear about a college party full of kids gulping “Cutesy Brand” wine instead of hard lemonade?

Although this may all sound cynical, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  It will end.  Everyday I see new wines from new exciting regions (Tannat from Uruguay!), or oldies investing money and redefining themselves (Bordeaux is back!).  With the speed at which the industry changes and wineries both new and old having to work harder than ever to stay relevant, I can safely say that the future is looking bright with wonderful, exciting things to come.  May this blog both open a few eyes and bring you all hope!

Cheers

Nic C