Vina Zaco Tempranillo, 2006

Vina Zaco Tempranillo, 2006

This is a new venture of Bodegas Bilbainas, of Rioja, where the Tempranillo grape shows delightfully. This wine is on the Wine Spectator top 100 list for 2009. This Spanish red has a deep ruby color with a rich nose of dark berry fruit and toasty oak. This is a medium bodied wine with a modern style of abundant fresh fruit and a hefty dose of smokey oak. After 30 minutes of decanting, the wine opened up with rich black cherry, raspberry, chocolate, lead pencil and baking spices. This wine has a zesty personality with crisp acidity and dusty tannins. The mouth feel is quite smooth and dry and the finish is long and satisfying. I suspect this wine will evolve nicely with a few years of cellar aging. I am tucking away a few bottles. We purchased this lovely young Rioja from WineExpress.com for about $14.

Beast Phinny Hill Vinyard Malbec, 2007

Beast Phinny Hill Vinyard Malbec, 2007

Buty Winery, in Walla Walla, has been producing lovely wines for the past 10 years. Winemaker Caleb Foster sources grapes from the Walla Walla Valley, Columbia Valley and Horse Heaven Hills. The Phinny Hill Malbec, from Horse Heaven Hills, is an interesting display of how Malbec can taste from the Northwest. This wine has a dark red color that is nearly opaque. There is a very aromatic nose with sweet cherry, violets and some toasted marshmallow. Rich ripe fruit like blackberry and cassis gives this wine a jammy character and abundant smooth tannins add a velvet cloak. This is a medium bodied wine with some toasty oak and gentle acidity that add to a substantial finish. This wine reminded me of a Sonoma Zinfandel and shows that Washington State Malbec can make lovely wine. Only 44 cases produced.

Shooting Star Blue Franc, 2007

Shooting Star Blue Franc, 2007

Shooting Star wines are made by acclaimed winemaker Jed Steele at his winery located about 100 miles north of San Francisco. In 1975 he had the opportunity to travel to Austria and visit their wine-growing region on the banks of the Danube River. One wine that impressed him was a red wine made from the Lemberger grape. In Austria winemakers refer to it by its ancient name, Blau Frankisch, literally “blue grape from France.” Those wines remained in his memory and when he began consulting for Columbia Crest Winery in the early 1990’s he discovered that there was a significant planting of Lemberger in Washington State’s Yakima Valley appellation. The winemakers in Washington label these wines as “Lemberger”, but Jed found that name quite harsh (and reminiscent of a stinky cheese of the same name). He decided that the wine was worth pursuing and recalled the other name for the varietal in Austria. He chose to call his version, Blue Franc, a great choice from my perspective. The Shooting Star Blue Franc is made from Lemberger grapes from the Columbia Valley and is made without oak aging. This 2007 vintage is very smooth and pleasant and unpretentious. The color is deep red with nice clarity and a nose of black fruit and ripe berries. This is a medium bodied wine with flavors of sweet red cherry, blueberry, tobacco and a trace of black pepper. There is crisp acidity and low tannins that make this wine a nice companion to any casual meal or a ham and cheese sandwich. This is a nice wine to try to explore a lesser known grape that produces very drinkable wines. We purchased this Shooting Star Blue Franc at Pete’s Wine Shop, in Bellevue, for about $10.

Merry Christmas!

Enjoy the

Season!!

Ricciarelli

Ricciarelli

These delicate Christmas Cookies are traditional to the city of Sienna in the Italian region of Tuscany. Legend holds that they were introduced by Ricciardetto della Gherardesca in his castle near Volterra upon his return from the Crusades in the 14th century. Like soft/chewy amaretti, these will not disappoint. They are a popular dessert treat in Italian homes and pair well with dessert wines like Vin Santo or Moscadello de Montalcino. Kate has added these delicious cookies to her portfolio and they are becoming one of our favorite holiday traditions.

Here's the recipe!

2 cups ground almond flour or meal
2 large egg whites
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Extra powdered sugar for rolling in

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepared almond "flour" or "meal" is available online from Bob's Red Mill and Whole Food Market or Trader Joe‘s. Combine the almond "flour" with the baking powder, powdered sugar, and flour. Beat the egg whites until stiff and mix into the almond mixture. Add the almond extract and blend until you have a soft paste. Place some powdered sugar on a clean, dry surface. Form one tablespoon of dough into a small ball, roll in the sugar, and then form either traditional diamond or round shapes, flattening the cookie with the palm of your hand. Place the cookies on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden.

Makes about 16 cookies.

Este, 2007

Este, 2007

This red table wine from Bodegas Alto Almanzora is produced in the Almanzora Valley of southern Spain. Este is a combination of Monastrell, Tempranillo, Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot. We had enjoyed a few bottles of the 2006 vintage and were glad to find the 2007 available in the Seattle area. This wine has a dark ruby color with a nose full of fresh raspberries, cherries, currants and wet rock. This medium bodied wine is full of rich fruit flavors along with exotic spice and dusty tannins. The bold dark fruit flavors are well balanced by crisp acidity and a mineral coating that make this wine a real winner. We purchased the modern Spanish gem at Esquin Wine Shop, in Seattle, for about $10.

Delas Côtes-du-Ventoux, 2007

Delas Côtes-du-Ventoux, 2007

The French appellation of Côtes-du-Ventoux sits on the East bank of the Rhône River at the foot of the Ventoux mountain range. This appellation mirrors the climatic conditions and grape varieties of its neighbor, the Côtes-du-Rhone. With vinyards planted in limestone, this Delas Côtes-du-Ventoux is made from Grenache (80%) and Syrah (20%). This lovely wine is fermented, mixed and aged in stainless steel tanks and is completely un-oaked. The color is a deep red with a crimson rim. The nose is predominantly dark red berries with some flowers and lead pencil. This is a fruit forward wine with a rich mouthful of black berries, plum, fig, licorice. This is a medium bodied wine with a great lush expression of dark fruit balanced by a mineral and black pepper coating. This everyday red wine, from the excellent 2007 vintage, can be found in the Seattle area for about $10.

Castello di Farnetella Chianti, 2003

Castello di Farnetella Chianti, 2003

Castello di Farnetella is owned by Felsina and they produce this DOCG Chianti Colli Senesi. The Farnetella area is a unique micro district, southeast of Chianti Classico, north of Montalcino, and almost bordering on the production area of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. The vinyards are predominantly loam and sand with some clay and a larger proportion of stone and chalk. This Chianti is produced from 92% Sangiovese and 8% Merlot aged for 8-12 months in mature oak barrels. We pulled this Chianti to enjoy this Sunday afternoon as we made some wood fired pizza and watched the movie “Up”.
This wine has a deep ruby color and has a vibrant nose of crushed blackberry and wet earth and slight nuances of spice. This is a medium bodied wine with rich dark berry, strawberry, licorice, tobacco and wet rock. There are nice tannins that add to the complexity along with moderate acidity to keep it sailing along. This was a nice wine to pair with our pizza. We had one pizza with Wood Grilled Mushrooms, Fresh Mozzarella, Pesto, Tomato and another pizza with Arugula, Prosciutto, Black Fig Jam and Goat Cheese. Everything was fantastic. Oh yeah, we also enjoyed “Up”!

Pizza in 750 degree oven

Starting the fire with Apple wood

Mushroom, Pesto, Fresh Mozzarella,Tomato

Arugula, Goat Cheese, Prosciutto, Black Fig Jam

Three Excellent Wines for the Holiday Season

Three Excellent Wines for the Holiday Season

Perrin & Fils Cotes Du Rhone Villages, 2007
Erta e China Rosso di Toscana, 2006
Columbia Crest H3 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007

Here are three lovely red wines that we have recently enjoyed and can highly recommend them for your holiday enjoyment. Each of these wines are available in the Seattle area and that all represent great values and delicious wines.




Perrin & Fils Cotes Du Rhone Villages, 2007

This red blend is 50% Grenache and 50% Syrah and is made from the well respected Perrin family with the same techniques as Chateau du Beaucastel. This wine has a deep red color with aromas of blackberry and cherry. This is a medium bodied wine with rich berry flavors, licorice, exotic spice and rocky earth. There are smooth tannins and gentle acidity that work together to create a well balanced and smooth finish. This is a truly delicious Rhone blend from the outstanding 2007 vintage. We purchased the wine at Costco, in Kirkland, for about $11.





Erta e China Rosso di Toscana, 2006

This wine is a blend of 50% Sangiovese and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 14 months in 2 year old American and French oak barrels. The resulting wine, produced by Renzo Masi, is a big wine that will satisfy your need for a dark, black fruit “tooth-stainer”. The color is dark ruby and nearly opaque. The nose shows dark fruit, ripe plum, leather and smoke. This is a mouth filling full-bodied wine with rich flavors of plum, cassis, cherry, licorice, nutmeg and mushroom. There are abundant tannins that are well integrated with the fruit and acidity to create a harmonious and well balanced wine. The oak aging has aided the development of this wine without adding much oak or vanilla flavors. This wine will pair well with any sharp cheese or a rib-eye steak. We purchased this blend from the Chianti Rufina region, from Esquin Wine Merchants, for about $12.



Columbia Crest H3 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007

We have been big fans of Columbia Crest wines for years. I can't think of another American winery that can produce such a tremendous quantity of wine and produce an excellent product at every price point. They have wines starting at about $6 and wines priced above $35. The Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet, 2005 was recently selected as “Wine of the Year” (2009) from the Wine Spectator Magazine. The Columbia Crest “H3” wines are upper-mid level wines that sell for about $12 to $14 in the Seattle area. The name “H3” stands for Horse Heaven Hills which is the appellation of this wine and the home of the Columbia Crest Winery in Patterson, Washington. This is an excellent representation of a Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon. In the glass this Cabernet has a blood red color and a lovely nose packed with sweet black fruit and hints of spicy oak and vanilla. In the mouth this is a medium bodied wine with an explosion of fresh fruit including blackberry and cassis balanced by some nice minerality and a touch of creamy oak. There are abundant dusty tannins and nice acidity completing the package. This wine is quite delicious and memorable. I highly recommend trying this wine during the holidays and picking up a few extra bottles as gifts for your friends!

Vega Sindoa Cabernet Sauvignon-Tempranillo, 2006

Vega Sindoa Cabernet Sauvignon-Tempranillo, 2006

This red blend is produced by Bodegas Nekeas in the Navarra region of Spain. The Nekeas valley is located at the foothills of the Pyrenees and is buffeted from the winds of the Atlantic. Warm summer days and cool nights help the grapes reach full maturity on the vines. The various micro-climates of the area allow for nice conditions for numerous grape varieties including Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Grenache. This bold Spanish red has a deep garnet color. The nose is full of deep black fruit with leather and spice. On the palate are flavors of ripe blackberry, cassis, licorice and black pepper. This is a big wine with prominent tannins and nice acidity on a full bodied frame. The finish is quite long and elegant. I have found the wines from Bodegas Nekes to be totally satisfying and great values. We purchased the “big-boy", from Navarra, at Total Wine (in Phoenix, AZ) for about $10.