The Wine Guy
How about a $15 Cabernet that drinks more like a $25-30.00 bottle? The San Pedro 1865 Selected Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon is one of those wines. It’s what I like to call the whole package. Rich red and blue fruit, a deliciously herbal, earthy side, nicely integrated tannins and a distinctive, balancing acidity. What more could you want? How about a homemade meatball slider or a big, steaming bowl of homemade pasta ? Or maybe a prosciutto, mozzarella, black olive, onion and basil pizza?
“The ultimate viticulturist.” That’s what Australia’s greatest critic, James Halliday, called Bleasdale winemaker Paul Hotker after naming him 2018-2019 Winemaker of the Year. The award caps an unprecedented hot streak dating to 2007, when Hotker arrived at Bleasdale. Since then, Hotker has turned out more than 10 wines rated 95 points or above. From this tremendous winemaker, the 2016 Frank Potts Cabernet Blend, ($25.99) from Bleasdale’s “Flagship Range” namedfor the founder and representing one of the finest expressions of Langhorne Creek Cabernet. 96 points from a mesmerized Halliday, and a gold medal from Australia’s most prestigious wine competition, the National Wine Show. What Halliday heralded as Hotker’s “extraordinary skill” is on full display in this 2016 monster blend.
Michel Torino Cuma Malbec Cafayate Valley, 2018, ($14.99), is another wine worth considering. Herbs, particularly rosemary, and black plummy fruits, greet the nose followed by decidedly balsamic and bitter aromas of quinine and Chinato. Light, fresh, and energetic in the mouth, there’s a nice blend of power and clarity here and a dryness which is more like a smooth Bordeaux. At its core, there’s a faint bitterness and touch of black spice that Malbec is capable of and this gains complexity in the mouth while retaining the fresh perfumes of crushed berry fruits, most notably mulberries and blackberries. Clean, fresh and clear on the finish, this one holds a touch of length, giving off some nuanced, oak- influenced complexity as the fruit, now turning red and a touch austere, fades from the palate.
Fontaleoni ‘Colli Senesi’ Chianti, 2016, ($13.99), is a family whose centuries of great wines speak volumes. Reticent on the nose and herbal, with aromas of dried grasses, hay and spicy red fruits. Light, fresh and zesty in the mouth, this is laden with bright, clear and slightly sweet cherry fruit. It’s a simple wine, round and bright in the mouth. Very refreshing and gaining some savory complexity on the backend, this goes down dangerously easily and has just enough tannin to add some real body.
Jose Maria Da Fonseca Jose De Sousa 2015,($24.99),is a fantastic value, with dense, full body, ample fruit and beautifully balanced acidity. The Trincadeira and Aragones grapes temper the intensity of the Grand Noir (aka Baga) beautifully. Fill your glasses and enjoy this one with lamb and pea samosas to start. A big, steaming bowl of pasta with spicy red sauce is perfect for the bold nature of this wine, or, if it’s a Sunday afternoon, a Prime Rib roast. The pronounced acidity of the wine also works well with rich dishes, like fried rice with Char Siu, Chinese sausage and Bok Choy; they attest to the versatility of this wonderful red.
Talk To The Wine Guy at jdris8888@gmail.com
