DRINKING BUDDIES

Thursday, November 4, 2010

A Short Review of Blends Part Two

Alright!  Big update here guys, so pay attention!
First off I would like to thank Dee Jey for answering my Theraflu question right.  I actually put Bourbon in my Apple-scented medicine last night but Jack Daniels is close enough.  If you're thinking, "Hey!  You asked vodka or rum!  Not whiskey!"  Well you're absolutely right.  I didn't.  But you should know by now that Bourbon is always the right choice.  So once again props out to Dee Jey for guessing right and be sure to check out his profile.  He's got some cool stuff on there.

So down to business.  I've selected a few good red blends from some interesting parts of the world for this one. Places you wouldn't typically start looking for a red blend, namely because they are not blended in the same nature as other reds.  Two of these are just shy of being declared Cabernets, one could be declared a single varietal, and yet another falls into the whole appellation-named wine trends (like most French wines, they don't claim the varietal, but the AOC).

Charamba Red 2007

Not to be confused with the Ribera del Douro of Spain, whose dominant grape is Tempranillo, Charamba is slightly sweet wine from Douro,Portugal, home of the fortified Port.  It is named for the native folk dance and music style and contains the four major grapes used in Port making:  Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, and Touriga Nacional.  The result of this is not unlike a lower alcohol, less sugary version of a classic LBV Port. It has such an interesting amount of flexibility, since it can be served either room temperature or chilled, as a table wine or dessert, and with or without food.  It starts with a smooth sweetly nose of honeysuckle and hibiscus leaf with a heavy thick undertone of raspberry and plum.  The body, too, is much like a Ruby Port but slightly less bulky.  It really only has one major difference than a typical port, and that is the lack of Aguardiente, the neutral grape spirit used to stop fermentation hence fortifying the wine.
This is a nice pickup for anyone looking for that good LBV Port taste without draining your wallets or overloading your taste buds.  It also sets at a nice 13% alcohol by volume, a whole 7% below the legal minimum for a Port.
Retails for about $8.99.

Carlos Basso Dos Fincas
Cabernet - Malbec 2007
Malbec - Malbec 2007

These two I chose to do together but unfortunately I cannot upload my photo of the Malbec - Malbec, because my phone is stupid.  Just imagine the same thing, but black label.

Carlos Basso was introduced to me a while back but I was skeptical to try it until recently.  I do love both varietals with great extremity, but I have always thought to keep them separate or to never serve them back to back.  But people, including myself, fail to realize the similarities between these two wines and thanks to this blend you can see what harmony they make.  It is very fragrant and tasteful of both varietals, popping with notes of tart berries, cocoa and spice.

Now the Malbec - Malbec is a real winner here, being their two best selections of Malbec from two adjacent plots, blended together to make an exceptional wine.  There really isn't too much to say for the second except that it taste similar to the Cab - Malbec blend, but obviously presents the Malbec in a more dominant manner.

Both are available for about $11.99.

Peirano Estate "The Other" Red 2005

A wine as sexy as the label implies.  It really does have many allusions to the label in some pretty accurate adjectives.  The body is long and slender, the hair alluding to the essence is contained yet given some freedom, the flavor is tempting and teasing with a wide and curvy bottom, and it is alluring and revealing yet retains some mystery to it.  Being from Lodi, Peirano really pushed out some good desert-bred wines that have a good old world amount of attention paid to them, but still have the lively spirit of the modern age.  Some younger generation wine drinkers like myself will even swear that Lodi will be the new Napa with its ever increasing popularity and above standard quality.  "The Other" is no exception to this belief, in the sense that it can take a dry grape such as Cabernet Sauvignon and blend it with two sweeter varietals, and produce such an amazingly balanced wine.  The oak, tannin, and acidity are all well controlled and no varietal dominates the other.  The Syrah essentially makes a bittersweet bridge between the Cab and Merlot, tying the two so well together.  Another must buy wine for those of you wanting to stay domestically with your collection, but would still like to think outside the box.
Typically retails for about $12.99

Have any questions or requests, just let me know!
And as always, enjoy!

19 comments:

  1. "The Other" looks like one I will have to try. Can't resist a wide and curvy bottom.

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  2. You've sold me on a bottle of Charamba Red. I'll have to go hunting for a bottle this weekend.

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  3. When I'm 21 I got to try this stuff :)

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  4. I'll have to keep these in mind next time I grab a bottle.

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  5. Crap! Im picking up Charamba red for this weekend!

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  6. I love reading your reviews for wine and stuff. You explain it in man terms so that I can understand.

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  7. I certainly dig the label on "The Other", but generally prefer whites.

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  8. I love wine! Also, you are right, Bourbon is always the right answer. Have you tried Groth wines before?

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  9. peireno estate look gooo man , mmm thanx for recomendation

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  10. The only wine I know doesn't come in a bottle

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  11. Haven't been a wine guy for quite some time, but this is really wetting my appetite again.

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  12. Definetly going to try "The other"

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  13. Wine is my preferred drink. I used to be wary of blended wines because I associated them with somehow being cheap and bad quality, but the best wine I've ever had was a blend of Cabernet and Merlot I believe.

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