Quick Sip: 2004 Soléna Del Rio Syrah - rich, inky, and delicious

Soléna Syrah Del Rio, Rogue Valley (2004)
Soléna Estate
Syrah
Rogue Valley AVA, OR

This is the first of the warm weather varietals produced by Soléna. The Syrah you can try at the Grand Cru Estate or you can sample it and the other WWVs at their tasting room in Carlton, OR where we joined Lynnette for a flight.

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Quick-Sip: One year blogging and a well deserved Syrah

Coast View Vineyards, Monterey County Syrah (2004)
Savannah Chanelle Winery
Syrah
Coast View Vineyard, Monterey County, CA

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Quick-Sip: Navarran Red Blend, the Elder

Barón de Magaña (2004)
Bodegas Viña Magaña
Merlot 50% | Cabernet Sauvignon 30% | Tempranillo 10% | other 10%
D.O. Navarra

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portuguese blend with some unique grapes

Grão Vasco Red Wine (2004)
Grão Vasco/Sogrape Vinhos
Aragonês | Trincadeira | Alicanta Bouschet | Touriga Nacional | Jaen | Alfrocheiro Preto | Tinto Pinheira
Dão, PORTUGAL

Aside from Port, I don't think many people think of Portugal as being a major wine producing country. That or they often get lumped in with Spanish wines. This is certainly unfortunate especially because most of the still wine made in Portugal is made from native grape varieties. This Grão Vasco for example has (at least) seven different grapes in it, only a few of which I think I've actually had. I'll talk more about the different grapes below.

This blend was paired up with a light calamari dish I had served with mushrooms, citrus, and capers. Here's what I thought:

Appearance: Clear pale wine, bright ruby red in color.

Nose: Clean with some age development, soft to medium aromas of red fruit, cherry, raspberry. Complimented by deeper notes of violet, mint, tobacco, and leather.

Palate: A dry wine with medium alcohol, body, and tannin - it tightens your cheeks a little but then softly lets go. Flavors of raspberry and cherry paired with vanilla, smoke, spice, and a little yeastiness.

Overall this was a really nice pairing with the food because it is not super heavy. The wine was aged entirely in stainless steel as opposed to oak, so there wasn't a lot of added tannin, and those derived from the grapes were soft. The subtle earthiness paired well with the mushrooms, and the soft acidity complimented the orange zest and capers.

As for the grapes found in this blend, there are a couple that may be more familiar by other names. Aragonês is the Portuguese name for Spain's flagship grape Tempranillo. In fact this grape has a huge number of pseudonyms. Another familiar variety will be Jaen - known elsewhere as Mencía. This is the grape that started it all here at oe•no•phile in my first post!

Of all the grapes, Touriga Nacional is one of Portugal's primary grapes. In fact, the region this wine is from (the Dão DOC) requires at least 20% of a blend to be Touriga. It is also commonly used for making Port. Lending to the raspberry and spice is also Trincadeira, plus some added fruitiness and tanning from Alicante Bouschet. Finally, other characteristics including the mint are likely from Alfrocheiro Preto.

I would recommend this wine as a replacement for other light bodied reds - Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, or Gamay for example. Paired up with cheeses, light dishes, and even fish this would make a good table wine.

Cheers!

Napa: No Chard, No Cab, No Problem

Napa Valley, California is world renown for their full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon and massively oaked Chardonnay. Varying from every part of the region, both make excellent wines to pair with food. In an attempt to bust out of the expected repertoire of sunny Napa, the team at Whole Foods Cedar Center's Osteria put together a fantastic dinner pairing nouveau American cuisine with unusual Napa wines.

Schramsburg, Mariabelle Brut NV ($25.99)
Proscuitto, arugula, pistachio, green apple & Laura Chenel chèvre

Pale golden yellow sparkling wine. Moderate aromas of apple, citrus, pear, and minerality. Dry, medium body with lively acidity and flavors of apple and lemon with full mousse. Great to pair with creamy cheeses, salty meats, and savory olive oil.

Stag's Leap Viognier 2006 ($26.99)
Braised radicchio, morels & sea scallops with apple-bacon vinaigrette

Pale, golden, clear wine. Light, youthful aromas of citrus, apple, and floral. Dry with smooth acidity and soft flavors of oak and lime, slightly balmy. Bland light wine accentuated very well by bitter greens and vinaigrette.

St. Supéry Virtu, White Meritage ($29.99)
Thyme crusted cod, cranberry, bean & squash ragoût, rapini, preserved lemon aiolo

Pale yellow wine. Moderately aromatic aromas of oak, yellow apple, and orange blossom. Dry, medium body, smooth acidity and flavor of oak, butter, and citrus. Characteristics bursting through when paired with lemon, herbs, and high acid fruits.

Domaine Chandon Pinot Meunier 2006 ($32.49)
Poulet ballentine, sourdough, sage, currant & apple with caramelized brussel sprouts & pan jus

Pale garnet red wine - similar to Pinot Noir. Moderate, youthful aromas of cherry earth, strawberry, orange, and licorice. Dry with crisp, lively acidity, soft tannins, and flavors of cherry and currant. Balanced well with roasted foods and vegetables.

Kuleto Sangiovese 2004 ($32.49)
Slow braised oxtail, root vegetable & pork belly hash, mushroom bordelaise

Deep, ruby red wine. Developing, moderate aromas of mushroom, earth, herbs, oak, and dried fruit. Dry, full bodied wine with high acidity and medium tannin. Flavors of oak, black fruit, and game. Braised meats and root vegetables softened tannin and bolstered fruit.

Robert Pecota Muscat Canelli 2005 ($19.99)
Fromage trio: Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog and reduced grapes, walnut, honey; Pt. Reyes Blue and cardamom poached pear, moscato sauce; Vella Dry Jack and fig & marsala preserves

Medium green-gold wine with noticeable viscosity. Fully aromatic with some age, peach, pear, straw, floral, honey, and olive characteristics. Sweet, medium bodied, with powerful flavors of apple, peach, pear, honey, and floral. Fantastic contrast to salty and tangy flavors of bleu cheese, and compliment to fruit.

Overall another awesome Counter Culture wine dinner! Since I'm a vegetarian I wasn't able to have all of the meat-laden dishes listed above, but the Osteria's Chef Eric did an incredible job of making substitutions to my courses. Next month they'll be featuring Cajun food paired with different beers in celebration of Mardis Gras, so if you're local you should certainly check it out.

Cheers!