What an odd coincidence. This week, I randomly chose two red wines that turned out to be very similar in colour.
By that I don't mean I didn't know they were both red wines, I mean both were close to being black in the glass even though they were made with different grape varietals and countries half a world apart.
To balance out these two reds, I have selected a white wine that was made from a favourite grape type and was very enjoyable. I'm sure at least one of these wines will tweak your interest enough to give it a try.
Santa Ana La Mascota
2011 Cabernet Sauvignon (641688)
Argentina
$17.99
Imagine being an immigrant to a new country, a country new to you and almost new to the rest of the world.
Imagine planting grape vines and making your own wine. Then leap forward 123 years and find that what you have started has ballooned to where your wine has the biggest market share domestically and is sold in more than 50 countries. Imagine how pleased Italian immigrant Luis Tirasso would have been with results of his efforts.
The La Mascota line from Bodegas Santa Ana of Mendoza, Argentina, is where this Cabernet Sauvignon hales.
This wine in the glass is such a dark and dense purple I was tempted to call it black. On the nose, I found it had the typical characteristics of a New World Cab, nice cassis and black currant aromas with a hint of something green.
I wasn't sure if it was a grassy aroma or that of a green pepper. In any case, it was appealing. In the mouth, I found this wine top be full-bodied with a bit of that jammy fruit quality which was balanced with some soft tannin and moderate acidity. This one isn't what I would call a food necessary wine, but if you were to use it as an accompaniment I would suggest grilled steak, braised ribs or with medium to strong cheese.
Rio Madre
Graciano Rioja 2011 (887323)
Spain
$15.99
Rioja is probably the most well-known wine-making region in Spain. And of the five grape varieties permitted to be grown in this region, Tempranillo and Garnacha are the most common with the Graciano grape grown on only 976 acres. This might seem like quite a lot, but it really constitutes 0.7 per cent of the total number of vineyards in Rioja.
This low-yielding grape is mostly used for blending and is rarely seen as a single varietal wine.
So, lucky for us we not only have an opportunity to try this wine but for $15.99 we have one that has some very good accolades. Wine Advocate's Robert Parker gave it 91 points and Stephen Tanzer of International Wine Cellar awarded it 90 points out of 100.
In the glass, this wine is so dense and dark that it is nearly black. I don't remember seeing a wine this dark before and black probably isn't a good description so we'll go with navy blue with some purple undertones.
The first thing that came to mind when I smelled this wine was of those very ripe black cherries. After that first impression, I found blueberry, a touch of chocolate and even a little spice. In my mouth, it was lush and a bit thick.
The fruit is present but not in a way that makes it feel sweet or cloying. The light grip of tannin and the cleansing acidity keep this wine in good balance and will remind you that this is a dry wine. As for serving this wine with food, I would suggest waiting for dessert and having it with dark chocolate.
Township 7
2012 Sauvignon Blanc (34355)
British Columbia
$19.99
Something new for us in February is a Sauvignon Blanc from Township 7.
This is a winery I always associate with Langley in the Lower Mainland, however that changed in 2003 when they purchased additional vineyards in the Okanagan's Naramata Bench.
Penticton and the Bench is where the grapes for this Sauv/Blanc were grown.
2012 was a very good year for the winemaking industry in the Okanagan Valley.
Sauvignon Blanc is one of my many favourite wine grape varietals so tasting this one wasn't any kind of hardship on my part. In the glass, the colour was pale lemon and looked so bright and fresh. I found the aromas were the same with clean, crisp citrus notes and the kind of pear, gooseberry and asparagus you expect to find in a good Sauv/Blanc.
In the mouth, it too was clean and fresh with delicate fruit flavours and a lively, refreshing acidity. I think this wine is best suited served with fish or seafood that isn't heavily spiced.
