Big Red Tasting With Kristian and Noelle at Gervais & Vine Columbia, SC 1/11/2011
Tasted Tuesday, January 11, 2011 by Mike Kopanski with 499 views
Introduction
About 30 Tuesdays per year Gervais & Vine hosts a wine tasting and light dinner in the upstairs dining room. Usually, Gervais & Vine invites a wine wholesaler rep, or occasionally a winery regional rep, and every once in a while, a real wine maker, or owner to host the event. About once a year the ultimate Wine Goddess, General Manager, and incomparable Ms. Noelle Norton, and Gervais & Vine founder, mastermind, and all around know it all, Kristian Niemi host a wine tasting together. Kristian had just returned from a trip to Spain, so this tasting was Spanish dominated. They typically focus on value wines, with some more premium treat at the end.
NV Casteller Cava Rosato 88 Points
Spain, Cava
This was just delightful. Not 100% dry, just a little sweetness in the mouth. Very nice pink color. Refreshing acidity. We don't drink this for the complexity, but for the wonderful clean feeling all the way down, and the slight pink of this one brings another level of enjoyment. I took little tiny sips and enjoyed it with prosciutto, fresh basil, and tomatoes.
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2009 Bodegas Borsao Campo de Borja Borsao 88 Points
Spain, Aragón, Campo de Borja
Usually, I am not a fan of these simple, young, one dimensional wines. This one is different. Almost purple/black in color. Fresh, grapy nose (how often do we describe wine aromas as grapy?). The big fruit is unapologetic. There is not very much manipulation of this wine. Little or no oak. Little or no malolactic fermentation. I don't usually like that malic acid taste in a red wine, but because of bigness and freshness of the fruit it somehow works here. Almost refreshing. Lip smacking. Not much complexity. Almost like a barrel sample of a wine maybe 6-8 months after harvest. The acid ripped right through a rib eye steak.
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2008 Bodegas Alto Moncayo Campo de Borja Veraton 88 Points
Spain, Aragón, Campo de Borja
From an Australian winemaker working with quality, very ripe grapes, this is a big bold heavily extracted wine. At first taste, I thought it might not be totally dry, but it settle down to be one of those balanced wines that seem sweet on the palate even when totally dry (Aussie style). This is Grenache, which to me usually means smoky fruit and alcohol. This has that and more; a little spice, and slightly floral on the nose. Very dark color. Intense black fruit. There is not much acidity and tannin to provide some backbone. Almost heavy in the mouth, there is plenty of alcohol. Not quite my cup of tea, but very respectable for what it is.
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2008 Reunion Malbec 85 Points
Argentina, Mendoza, Lujan de Cuyo
Pretty conventional for an Argentinian Malbec, maybe a little on the light side. Nose is a little rustic. Dominated by the fruit which tends toward red raspberry, but certainly has some darker fruit also. Not much mid palate. A little less than medium bodied. Easy drinking, smooth, not very complex. Probably medium heavy to heavy toast oak. Light, fruity finish.
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2008 Cellers Can Blau Montsant Can Blau 89 Points
Spain, Catalunya, Tarragona, Montsant
This is one of those blends that really works. I'm not very familiar with Mazuelo, but it seems to bring rustic, smokey, and spicy characteristics to the Syrah and Grenache in this blend. This wine is dark and more purple than the other 2 varietals. It also has rounded edges, making it a little easier drinking. There is some serious structure, starting with the mid palate, and continuing to the finish. We have red and dark fruit profiles. We don't have a lot of acid, tannin, or oak, but somehow this feels big in the mouth. Ready to drink, and a decent value. This is good.
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2007 Nine North Wine Company Cabernet Sauvignon Twenty Bench 88 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
You have to give these guys some credit for bringing us a respectable, true to form Napa Valley Cabernet for under $20. Yes it is a little manipulated and generic, but it has plenty of merit. It is big, and dark, rich and fruity, But there is more. A little spice and smoke. Nice viscosity. Almost huge, but still focused fruit, blueberry, strawberry, and especially cassis. There are some supporting flavors, like graphite, cocoa, and of course some vanilla from oak. Complex, balanced, medium heavy bodied.
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2006 Celler Vall Llach Priorat Embruix 90 Points
Spain, Catalunya, Priorat
It is hard to not like this wine. This is their entry level offering, and to me it is very refined. I don't have enough experience with Priorat to know if it the general characteristics of the region, or if these are just good grapes with inspired winemaking, but does it matter? I am a big fan of red wines with a nose of flowers, and this one has both violets, and lilac. Big dark color. Full bodied with layers of fruit spice, and mineral flavors. Controlled tannins. Balanced. Built to age. All kinds of spices on the finish.
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