All a~ Twitter About Wine

Famille Perrin Chateauneuf du Pape 2009

As of late I have found myself posting photographs of wines I have enjoyed via social media. This has allowed me to share with others the wines I am discovering when time is not available for an extensive Whine and Cheers post. Many of these wines I hope to write about some day but that day has not yet come.

Chateau Vignot Saint Emilion 2007

Twitter, Facebook or Instagram are great ways for me to also keep a visual public record of my imbibing.  In fact this site was partly started because of a year-long wine diary my better half and I began about four years ago. Social media is my new wine diary. Yes it can be a crutch [not writing] but it is also a wonderful way to share information and start conversations. So with this said, I present my photo journey of wines enjoyed but not written about [yet!] over the last couple of months. Wines that made me all atwitter. So much so that they were recorded for posterity.  ¡SALUD!

Mistela Moscatel Turrin Valencia Spain

Domaine Des Velanges 2012

H&G Priorat

Pascual Toso Alta 2011 Malbec

Siesta Tahuan 2010 Malbec

Quintessa Napa Red Wine

Y3 Napa Chardonnay 2011

Bernier Chardonnay

Chateau Castel des Maures Cotes de Provence Rose’ 2010

Verse and Chorus Napa Red Wine 2012

Flowers 2011 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

Giesta Dao 2010 – Portugal

Pesquera Tinto 2006 Ribera del Duero

Thomas Barton Reserve Saint-Emilion 2009

Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais 2013

Return of the Wine Diary-Chilensis, J Opi, Baron D’Arignac, Il Papavero

This week I am returning to the Wine Diary of 2011. With all the new wines and related experiences as of late I find it difficult to go back and re-review last years selections. Yes, all 138 wines, go figure. For those of you who have not read my earlier Diary posts or need a recap, here you go:

https://whineandcheersforwine.wordpress.com/2012/02/02/is-my-wine-glass-half-empty-or-half-full-the-return-of-the-wine-diary/

Having gotten the bad ones out-of-the-way and not being a fan of negative energy I am ready to stress the positive with the category of SURPRISES. As the title implies, we did not know much or expect much from these wines but they quickly got our attention. Other categories will follow in future postings.

Surprises [4]:

The first on our list [in no particular order] is a Cinsault varietal from Languedoc Roussillon, France: 2009 Baron D’ Arignac Vin de Pays D’Oc.  I must admit that this choice was completely made on price.  It had me at $6.99 on sale as I walked through the isles of our local Whole Food Market. We found it to be very good fresh out of the bottle with no decanting needed. I actually noted GREAT SURPRISE! in my notes probably thinking it would be swill because of the price. Interestingly I have learned the following about this varietal; it is regularly used in Chateauneuf-du-Pape and in 1925 it was crossed with Pinot Noir by Stellenbosch University Professor A.I. Perold in trying to create a unique South African varietal, which became Pinotage.  Characteristics of the grape: low tannins, dark, spicy, slightly perfumey.

Next we’re off to Chile with what I originally noted as a “Chilean Surprise”.  The 2009 Chilensis Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon, found at Total Wine and More for $9.99. Again I was most likely drawn to this choice by the fact that it was a RESERVA priced at $9.99. I am starting to see a $$ trend in the SURPRISE group having to do with price to taste ratio….My research shows that this corporate winemaker sources wines from different regions in Chile and markets them to the US. Chilensis wines are certified organic and sustainable. I noted; strong dark fruit on the nose and palate along with black pepper and spices.

On to Italy thanks to the Wall Street Journal Wine Club: Il Papavero Primitivo 2009. This Primitivo [which is the same as our Zinfandel] is one of winemaker Scipione Giuliani’s passions. The grapes come from 50-year-old vines in Puglia in southern Italy. This is one of my favorite selections provided to me through the WSJ Wine Club.  Priced at $13.99, this wine could easily be on my personal house wine list. For this rich, heavy red I detected; dark fruits such as raisins and plums, some oak and even what I would describe as cocoa.

Last but not least and thanks again to the WSJ Wine Club we arrive in Argentina for the 2009 J Opi Malbec; whose wine maker Rodolfo Sadler aka Opi won the Argentinean Red Trophy at the 2009 Decanter World Wine Awards.  At $13.99 this wine is a very good value. Again, the taste to price ratio. Priced at $7.99 as a special when I got it; it is an incredible value and I should have purchased a case! This wine was full bodied, fruity [dark], with a bit of spice and a great rich color. It was a perfect match for our spaghetti and meatball dinner. Albeit not so much with our dessert of Goobers 🙂  I would describe it as very drinkable.

Until the next chapter of my Wine Diary returns; SALUD!

Our Wednesday night choice; Santa Rita Reserva Carménère 2008

Our Wednesday night choice; Santa Rita Reserva Carménère 2008

We discovered Carménère about a year ago in a South American wine class and it has become one of our favorite and go-to wines. The Reserve always being somewhat better than the non.  In fact while in Nova Scotia and Canada [PEI] this last spring this varietal was our saving grace and actually made us look good in the eyes of our gracious hosts who had never imbibed such a delicacy. At this point I should tell you that this grape from Chile usually has a strong and robust taste almost comparable to a Cabernet Sauvignon but slightly mellower. It also mellows and opens nicely when decanted. Just 20 minutes will make a difference.

I refer to this as our Wednesday night choice because of its price point. As priced at about $8-9.00 it is the perfect non-guilty pleasure and can easily impress guests in a pinch. We had ours with spaghetti and garlic bread. I could also see this working well with grilled meats and other hearty dishes.

At opening the nose was of; leather, earth/dirt, sweet dark fruits [blackberry, plum, cherry]. My better half detected aromas of; grass, chocolate and malt. As the wine mellowed I tasted an after taste of almonds.

We had never tried the Santa Rita Reserva Carménère and I was attracted to it because of its price.  Having been impressed we will definitely be coming back to this one and it may even make my 2012 best value wine list.  This will be entry #1 in my 2012 wine diary; not a bad way to start the year. Good wine AND a great value.

Related articles

• Wines of Chile Blogger Tasting – Carmenere & Curry (thegoodwineguru.com)
• Ocho Carménères Chilenos (wine-by-benito.blogspot.com)
• Kunza’s Cabernet Sauvignon & Carmenere (grandcata.com)