Ode to Spain & Good Friends – Bodega Pago de Cirsus

In preparation for a vacation throughout central and northern Spain my vino-loving friends decided to introduce me to the wines of Pago de Cirsus from the region of Navarra. As luck would have it they had me at Navarra, a denomination of origin or region in central-northern Spain that I favor and neighbors the better-known Rioja. I hate to generalize, but I can honestly say that I have never had a bad wine from the Navarra area.

Thanks to the wines of Pago de Cirsus I am happy to report that my favorable opinion of wines from Navarra continues to grow.  We didn’t drink them all on the same night, not that there is anything wrong with that, but we had the pleasure of  discovering three of their different releases over a couple of different stay at home dinners. It pays to have wine-loving friends and neighbors.

Pago de Cirsus 2017 Chardonnay; hand harvested,  100% Chardonnay

This wine was an immediate hit and surprisingly my first true Chardonnay from Spain. Served with vegetarian / vegan hors d’oeuvres it disappeared quickly and left guests asking for more. This from non Chardonnay drinkers! Beautiful notes of rich tropical fruits; peach, pineapple with no oak detected.

The Chardonnay was actually the last of the three wines sampled and it was sampled on a different night altogether. For the reds, the evening was planned and a bit more organized. As soon as the guests arrived and settled [party of six] the notepads and writing utensils came out. I quickly realized that six different people taking notes in a very social setting was not going to work. Fate intervened and a volunteer note-taker for the group appeared. I will forever be grateful because thanks to this giving soul we have wine notes to review!

Pago de Cirsus 2014 Cuvee Especial;  45% Syrah, 40% Merlot, 17% Tempranillo. Fermented in French oak vats, and then 14 months in new French oak barrels,

With a great pedigree to start, unbeknownst to us,  this hand harvested red-blend was selected as the best Spanish red wine, at the 2014 Brussels World Competition, it did not disappoint.  Five out of the 6 tasters gave this wine high marks and thought it was representative of a more expensive bottle. Group notes: black pepper, mocha/chocolate, baking spices including clove, blackberry, fig, violet, leather, woodsy [cedar/oak]. Medium bodied.

Pago de Cirsus 2013 Seleccion de Familia; 85% Syrah, 15% Tempranillo.          Fermented in French oak vats, then 14 months in new French oak barrels. Aged three years.

This without a doubt was the favorite of the night with six of the six guests agreeing on its excellent quality. A wine to savor with time on your side. The additional aging of this higher end of our three samples  truly came through by adding character and richness. A great way to end our wine-tasting event. Group notes: tobacco, leather, black pepper, paprika, red fruits, smooth tannins, long finish. 

Although my recent trip to northern Spain and Portugal did not include the Navarra wine-region, I am happy to report that this not known by most area is still tops on my list. As are the wines of Pago de Cirsus which have across the board truly impressed.

So, as I fantasize about another trip to Spain, you better believe I will continue to search out wines by Bodegas Pago de Cirsus, vino from Navarra, and reasons to share with wine-loving friends.   ¡SALUD!

 

 

Brazil’s Romero Britto & Argentina’s Bodega Norton come together over Wine

 

Bodegas Norton Limited Edition Barrel Select 2015

Famed Miami Beach, via Brazil, artist Romero Britto has partnered with Argentina’s Bodega Norton for their 2015 Barrel Select wine.

Britto now brings his stylized Pop-Art to wine with his beautifully layered “Limited Edition” label showing optimism and love via the celebration of two wine glasses and so much more.

 

This 100% Malbec out of Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina are from vines 15-30 years old.

 

WINERY OVERVIEW
Founded in 1895, Bodega Norton is one of the strongest Argentine brands in the US. Bodega Norton combines a modern, state-of-the-art facility with rich heritage and old world charm. The average vine age of its five vineyards is between 30-80 years old, driving richness and depth across the entire portfolio. Bodega Norton produces exceptional wines at appealing price points and has enormous potential to grow consumer mind share and popularity in the United States.

My notes:

Deep, dark burgundy red hue in the glass. Legs for days, 13.4% ALC. Boysenberry and cooked fruits on the nose. Medium bodied. Rich but not a fruit bomb. Should decant a bit or age about 2 years to soften. Medium level tannins with a dry finish including lilac and violet notes. Overall fruit and spice well-balanced. Serve with food.

This bold wine handcrafted by the highly regarded David Bonomi [see below] is a good opportunity for wine drinkers to maybe expand beyond their usual wine choices and find a well made wine at an affordable price. Usually found for less that $15.00 and closer to $12.00, this is a perfect choice for an everyday wine that does not break the bank yet impresses.  ¡SALUD!

Winemaker notes: 

Deeply red with violet hues. Aromas of ripe red fruits,
cassis and pepper. Sweet on the palate, friendly
tannins with spicy flavors.

David Bonomi – Chief Winemaker

Part of a new generation of young, innovative winemakers causing a stir in the industry, David first discovered his passion for wine working in his father´s vineyard. Born in Mendoza, Argentina, to a family of Italian immigrants with winemaking heritage, David explains: “The relationship with wine, in our family, was always our livelihood.” As his enthusiasm for the wine world grew he decided to study a degree in Winemaking at Don Bosco University and Juan Agustín Maza University. Since then, David´s wines at Bodega Norton have been awarded more than 95 points, recognized by critics as among the best in the world. And in 2017, Decanter magazine included David in its list of the Top 10 Best Winemakers in South America.

A Wine Walker thanks to – WalkedThru

I am proud to announce that this specialized blogging community has chosen me and my blog to be their/your official Wine Walker. I will be walking those interested through my adventures in learning about wine and also my career in the exciting world of wine.  Check them out, they have other great Walkers covering all kinds of interesting topics.  My WALKER profile; http://walkedthru.com/walker-directory/walker-profile-whine-and-cheers-for-wine/

ABOUT WalkedThru;

What is WalkedThru?

WalkedThru is a specialist blogging community contributed to by professionals in their respective fields.

So for example if you wanted to know about photography, you would search ‘photography’ or ‘camera’ on our website and find a reliable, professional, informative and entertaining blog updated regularly by our photography professional, UrbanSnapper. (Click Here to visit blog)

Our resident professional would talk about everything from the equipment and software he uses, to common industry problems, like overexposure, through to general photography tips and advice. Information that is helpful, entertaining, constructive, comprehensive, motivational and inspirational to any budding photographer or enthusiast.

We plan to build a community brimming with blogs like this; subjects ranging from history, to sport, to places, to fashion, to hobbies, to books, to everything in between and beyond!

Why WalkedThru?

Because we’re anti-wiki. Pro-reputability.

We want to build a community as a source of information that is:

• Varied and vast ranging
• Informative and professional,
• Yet easy-going and personable,
• That is informed by professionals.

We think that blogs are not just a great general interest read, but more so a fantastic medium in which to educate, inform, entertain and enlighten.

How does it work?

WalkedThru grows by adding professionals/enthusiasts, who have particular expertise in a particular subject, to it’s budding community of blogs.

We call these professionals and enthusiasts ‘Walkers’. (For more information on Walkers. Click here. or click the ‘Join Us’ page)

The more Walkers we have, the bigger the WalkedThru community will be and the better the source of information will be for the curious web surfer.

Sonoma County 2009 William Knuttel Cabernet Sauvignon

Sonoma County 2009 William Knuttel Cabernet Sauvignon

Today’s wine comes to us via The Wall Street Journal Wine Club. It is priced at $20.00 per bottle or $238.00 for the case through the club. I am surprised a bigger discount is not offered but this may be fodder for a future post….

William Knuttel is renowned for his work as winemaker for premium California wineries such as Chalk Hill, Dry Creek and Saintsbury. He was also President of the Cabernet Wine Society from 1999-2003. All this before branching out with his own namesake product line.

This particular Cabernet spent two years in french oak barrels prior to its release. It is unfiltered, a factor I tend to appreciate in my wines but could understand where others could feel differently.

Upon decanting I noted strong wood [cedar] on the nose along with tobacco. Fruit detected was slight; dark fruit possibly opening to red fruits as it immediately began to breathe.

At tasting I was pleasantly surprised by the strong red fruit taste [strawberry, red cherry]. The heavy wood on the nose took somewhat of a backseat to the fruit on what I would describe as a dry, tannic heavy wine with a lengthy acidic finish. The experience and my purple tongue reminded me of a Bordeaux before opening completely. The WSJ website suggests decanting for an hour prior to serving but as my notes below suggest; 2 hours would not be an exaggeration.

Additional notes:

@ 30 minutes – Nose softened but wood still overtly in existence, fruit opening but reservedly so.

@ 60-90 minutes – Notable softening on nose and palate; tasty.

@ 2 hours – Jammy.

I am so glad that I was able to continue recording my notes throughout the night. It was truly amazing to see this wine come to life and change in ways that sometimes just doesn’t happen with a wine although I also have to admit we do not usually sit down for a 2-3 hour wine experience at home. Huh, maybe we should 🙂 . This wine was delicious from start to finish but SMOOTH at over 2 hours. If I would not have lasted to this point it would have been my loss and I would have written off this wine as good but overly woody [barreled too long?]. Having made it though I must admit that I would buy and better yet experience this wine again. Note to self; Decant! Enjoy long suppers! Stop and smell the wine grapes! ¡SALUD!

Vendor notes: We’d suggest you decant an hour prior to serving to allow those complex flavors time to breathe.

Deep ruby. Aromas of black cherry, cedar and blackberries with hints of red licorice and classic cigar box. Fine-grained tannins, smooth finish — dominated by dried cherry, cassis and vanilla.