These past few days, while getting the place ready for the impending winter, I had the great opportunity to taste three good red wines. They were an exciting surprise and I'll be buying them again especially during the coming winter months when a heavier red wine is called for.
Domaine Roche-Audran 2011
France (429266)
$17.99
The most widely grown grape in the French wine region of South Cotes du Rhone is Grenache Noir and as you move into the North that changes to Syrah. The red grape Grenache is the predominate grape in this Roche -Audran with both Syrah and Carignan contributing 15 per cent each.
The vineyard that this wine comes from is close to the town of Buisson and the vines range in age from twenty to one hundred years old. The winemaker, Vincent Rochette's grandfather, purchased this parcel in 1962, but has winemaking history in this appellation going back generations. Certified both organic and biodynamic in 2008, great care is taken in caring for these aging beauties and the proof is in the glass.
In the glass, this wine has a dark purple appearance with some density, but didn't relay the depth of aroma and flavour that were to follow. Without the use of oak-aging the aromas are of fresh, dark, ripe cherries, plum and a peppery goodness. In the mouth, I found it to be a bit more than medium-bodied with perfect balance of fruit, spice, tannin and a perfect amount of acidity. It wasn't possible for me to tell where the pepper ended and the soft, silky tannins began. The finish is long and delicious. What a great wine, and if you need to pair this with something I'd suggest roasted pork and root vegetables.
Ravenswood Vintners Blend Zinfandel 2011
USA (359257)
$17.99
Co-founder of Ravenswood, Joel Peterson, has been key in making the Zinfandel grape the signature grape of California. He's been in the business for thirty years and continues to oversee and make wine for Ravenswood. The label is instantly recognizable with its ring of three ravens and I've been told it's the most tattooed logo. This old-vine Zinfandel is made from grapes sourced from throughout California.
I've often said that I find a richness in wines that are from vines with some age and that's the case here. This is a wine from the 2011 vintage and therefore still has that young purple colour. The Ravenswood motto 'no wimpy wines' is held true in the aromas with bold scents of raspberry and blueberries with a hint of chocolate or coffee. Maybe that could be called mocha. On the palate, it's medium-bodied with a juicy quality, but not a fruit bomb - the aging in French oak has tamed that and helped to meld the Zinfandel with its other minor grape components. It's a great wine for roast beef or a winter hardy beef stew, medium to strong cheeses or simply on its own.
Toscana Ruffino Il Ducale 2009
Italy (872572)
$19.99
Chianti, the predominate wine of Tuscany, Italy is made under strict rules governing the grapes that are used in this wine. Sangiovese has to comprise more than 75 per cent of the wine with the rest coming from grape varietals allowed by the governing body. Prior to this, any wine made outside of this box had to be labelled as merely a table wine, the lowest designation of Italian wines. In 1978, Antinori released one of these wines that fell outside of this box, and because it was so successful other wineries followed suit. These wines were so well received they demanded high prices and became known as Super Tuscans, but were still labelled as simply table wines. This created a dilemma that was solved by creating the new designation of IGT or Indicazione Geografica Tipica. This simply means quality wines that display a quality that was typical for this region.
Ruffino Il Ducale is one of those Super Tuscans falling under this new designation. While it mostly has Sangiovese, it also has 20 per cent Merlot and 20 per cent Syrah. I found this blend and price point to be appealing. The colour is leaning more to the ruby colour, rather than the purple side of a red wine. There are plenty of appealing aromas here as well, with the cherry being the first thing I noticed. Then there is a dried fruit and organic quality that reminds me of pipe tobacco and chocolate. In the mouth, it felt medium, leaning to full-bodied, and is nicely layered with flavours of ripe black fruit and not overly acidic. The tannins are present, but with a good homemade lasagna they'll be completely tamed - not that I didn't appreciate them while sipping this great wine all on its own.
