Wine & Words

It is fitting that in July of every year, a month that begins with the celebration of our country’s Independence, we Feature wines of America. This year, all during the month of July, all American-made wines will be 15% Off (except the ones that already live in our “$12.00 and Under” section). I’ll be writing about American winemaking and Featuring various American wine regions and styles later in the month, but I wanted to start with a few new ones.
 
Pacific Rim Sweet Bliss Red (Washington State) Regular Price $16.45/ Feature Price $13.98
We’re always getting requests for “a good sweet red.” That’s sometimes a difficult quest. Cheap sweet reds are often the dregs of a large production winery, sweetened so you can tolerate them. Not interested! This one comes from Pacific Rim, the “Riesling Rules” folks who are an offspring of Randall Grahm’s Bonny Doon Winery in Central California. Though they focus on the Riesling grape in all its levels of sweetness - from the very food-friendly and aptly named “Dry Riesling” through the mid-range “Riesling Columbia Valley ” to the “Sweet Riesling” - they also make other wines that are just fun to drink. The Sweet Bliss Red is a blend of Sangiovese, Barbera and Zinfandel. It has some complexity and enough grip on the finish to make it a great companion for spicy barbecue sauce. So whether you like sweet wine or not, celebrate your independence and give this one a try. It’s a good example of how American winemakers are free to think outside the box.
 
Adelsheim Chardonnay 2009 (Willamette Valley, Oregon) Regular $27.25/ Feature $23.16
I’m always cruising the Wine Enthusiast early reviews for wines I think I can add to our list. We’ve carried the wonderful Adelsheim Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris through several vintages (and price hikes), so I was interested when I saw the 90 Point rating for Adelsheim’s 2009 Chardonnay. Wine Enthusiast wrote:
Adelsheim helped to pioneer Dijon clone Chardonnay in Oregon, a movement that completely reshaped and reinvigorated those wines. Crisp styling (from stainless steel fermentation and no malolactic) puts the emphasis on clean, refreshing fruit flavors of melon, star fruit, lime and cucumber, with excellent concentration and length. Editors’ Choice.
I tasted the wine with Sarah Stewart and was mightily impressed. If the mention of “Dijon clone” made you think of mustard, just refocus on the fact that the city of Dijon was the historic capital of the province of Burgundy, France and you realize that this is the type of Chardonnay that makes the elegant white Burgundy wines that many of us are big fans of. Of course, this being America, the profile is a little different from Burgundy, but it’s even farther in style from the buttery, oaky Chards of California. What gives this one its American accent is, I think, the little kiss of sweetness in the middle that is contained in a wrapper of soft acidity. If that sounds delicious, then don’t miss this one. Is this a great country, or what? There’s an excellent PDF description of the wine here.
 
Corley Family Monticello Merlot 2005 (Napa Valley, California) Regular $27.75/ Feature $23.59
I want to start this note with...”this just in!” That’s because I just tasted this one and am very pleased to make it part of our New Americans introductions. When I think of red wine grapes and California, I usually think of Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel as the signature reds. Merlot has been the sort of middle sibling, playing second fiddle to its starring elder the way it does on the Left Bank of Bordeaux. But with people calling for wines that aren’t too tannic and can be drunk young and fruitful, even Napa winemakers are turning toward Merlot, like they do on Bordeaux’ Right Bank. I think that’s what the Corley Family, renowned for their Cab, has done here. They describe it thus: 2005 was a fantastic year for our Merlot. The Merlot which makes up more than 80% of this blend was the last batch of grapes we picked at Monticello for the entire vintage. Due to the moderate weather late in the season, we were able to let the grapes just hang on the vines and continue to develop, without worrying about the sugars increasing. It’s a great situation that doesn’t happen every year. I think it allowed us to naturally achieve some great flavors in the vineyard.
The wine is 80% Merlot, with the adidition of a little Cab Franc to give it grip and distinction. It is bold but smooth and carries its 14.1% alcohol well. The 18 months it has spent in French oak gives it some mellow notes that will pair well with food. All in all a very pleasant wine that is a great addition to our California lineup.