Dao. Burgundy. Lodi. A Trio of Reds

Dao. Burgundy. Lodi.

A Trio of Reds

Casa de Mouraz 2011 (DAO), 13.5%, €17.50 Mary Pawle

The grapes for this excellent red come from several vineyards of Casa de Mouraz “some of which are mentioned in documents from the 16th century”. They were no doubt organic then and are organic now.

The wine has been matured in fine Nevers oak for 8 months and is a blend of local grapes: Touriga Nacional, Tinto Roriz, Alfrocheiro, Jaen and the almost unknown Agua Santa.

It is an intense red colour with violet hue and the legs are in no hurry to clear. You’ll find ripe rich fruits in the aromas. It is smooth, spicy, with a lovely mineral streak, and a lasting finish. A serious drop indeed and Highly Recommended.

Ambroise Lettre d’Eloïse Coteaux Bourguignons 2013, 13%, €17.85 Le Caveau

The wines of Maison Ambroise, certified organic since 2013, are regarded as classic Burgundy “with distinct terroir influenced personalities”. This, new to the Le Caveau range, is 100 per cent Pinot Noir and has been aged in 400l barrels, two to five year old, for ten months. No fining or filtration has been applied so be sure to decant. 

By the way, did you know that synonyms for Pinot Noir include Pinot Nero, Pinot Negro, Spatburgunder, Blauburgunder.

Colour here is a pale ruby; red fruits in the aromas, most noticeably cherry. It is wonderfully fresh, the lively fruit flavours well matched by the acidity, a perfect balance, plus an excellent finish.  Highly Recommended.

Saw a few matching suggestions and the one that made most sense was Roasted duck breast with plum sauce. One from BBC Food here.

Jewel Collection Old Vine Zinfandel 2012 (Lodi, California), 14%, €16.90 Karwig Wines

Interestingly, this was “tested” on a Friday, then the Vacuvin was applied. The bottle was finished off on the following Wednesday and a small improvement was noted! The vine is made by a cooperative of growers from “gnarled 40 year old vines”.

Ruby is the colour, tending towards violet. And there are rich jammy aromas, plus vanilla. All that rich fruit appears too on the warm palate but nicely balanced by the acidity, some spice too, vanilla again, plus a decent finish. Pair with hearty dishes of beef, pork, fowl and various game. Recommended.

California Trio. Zin, Zin and PN

California Trio

Zin, Zin and PN

Zinfandel now has a birth cert. Until only recently, it was California's "mystery grape" because its origins were unknown. 

DNA fingerprinting has confirmed that Italy's Primitivo and Crljenak Kastelanski, an ancient Croatian variety, are genetically identical to Zinfandel grapes. However, differences in vine vigor and cluster size separate Zinfandel from its genetic twins, and further differences in cultivation, terroir and winemaking combine to give Zinfandel its own particular flavor profile with a truly American name, history and style. On wine labels, U.S. regulations require that Zinfandel and Primitivo be identified separately. Read more...

California Wines – Less is More is the title of a Wine Tasting  in Ballymaloe next week (9th) and I’d bet that a Zin or two will be featured.

Clos du Val Napa Valley Zinfandel 2013, 14.5%, €29.95 O’Brien’s

From the very first sip, there was no doubt but that this Zinfandel was going to get a Very Highly Recommended. The drinking was spread over two days: it just got better.

Color is a rich purple and the vibrant aromas are not at all shy: dark frit and more. It is magnificent on the palate, with its warming mouthfeel, full of red fruit flavours, vanilla too, some spice as well, fine tannins. It is rich and full bodied, elegant and refined, with a lingering finish. And, yes, Very Highly Recommended. 

The wine is produced in California but the the food match was made in Douglas. I bought the wine in O;Brien;s there and paired it with a gorgeous Pork and Prune Terrine from On the Pig’s Back. On the second day, it went very well indeed with mousaka. 

Clos du Val was started by John Goelet in 1970 and it was quality from day one. Wines of California, an excellent recent book on the area, particularly recommends their reserve Napa Cabernet Sauvignon (2008) and the Carneros Reserve Chardonnay.

Dancing Bull Zinfandel 2012 (Lodi, California), 14%, €10.00 on offer and widely available.

This is a wine for the barbecue, before during and after. A fun wine. Pretty good fun though and Highly Recommended. Generally, it seems that a fun wine in California is well removed from a poor wine.

Rioe fruit notes, particularly strawberries, dominate the aromas.No shortage of fruity flavours on the palate and there are vanilla notes too. Intense enough with traces of spice and pretty good length as well. Small amounts of Petite Sirah and Tempranillo have been added “for increased intensity and dark fruit characteristics”. Most of the Zin fruit comes from Lodi, the self-proclaimed “Zinfandel Capital of the World”.

Lodi has some of the oldest Zinfandel vines in California, many dating back to the Gold Rush of 1849. Lodi’s wine industry continued to flourish through Prohibition, thanks to farmers who maintained their crops for legally sanctioned “home winemaking.” Today, Lodi is Wine Enthusiast’s 2015 Wine Region of the Year and a leading producer of California’s top varieties. However, with over 100 varieties now in production, Lodi offers a vast portfolio of diverse and interesting wines, all of which thrive in the region’s Mediterranean climate of warm days and cool nights. More on Lodi here.

Cycles Gladiator Pinot Noir, Central Coast 2013, 13.5%, €18.00 Bubble Brothers

Pinot Noir hasn't the best of reputations on the vineyard: capricious, a prima donna. But this is a delicate delight, Californian by birth but strong traces of a Burgundian accent, and is Highly Recommended. Cooperage: 40% new French oak, 60% neutral oak. The winery recommends pairing it with porcini and cremini mushroom risotto or roast rosemary chicken.

It has the typical light red colour, cherry to medium garnet. There is a beautiful red fruit nose, cherries plus berries. Fruit flavours follow through on the vibrant palate, restrained spice, fine tannins too, a lovely balance to this easy-drinking medium-bodied beauty and an excellent finish to boot.

Some 40,000 acres of Pinot Noir are now grown in California, well up on the 25,000 acres of 2004. Its popularity, according to the Wines of California, “is due to the general trend towards lighter, higher-acid food-friendly wines”. This lively Gladiator is certainly one of them, a good juicy one at that.

I bought this one from Bubble Brothers in the English Market and got good advice from Paddy. Must also say that the company's website is excellent, giving good detail on a big range of wines from around the world.