Don Lahey, Author at Wine Blog from The International Wine of the Month Club

Saint-Émilion: Bordeaux at its Best

January 26, 2018 by Don Lahey

Chateau Saint Georges Winery in
Saint Georges-Saint-Emilion

Saint-Émilion is Bordeaux’s most important wine town and the region’s hottest attraction. This walled, medieval village, perched atop a series of hills and surrounded by vines, is unquestionably the most beautiful wine village in all Bordeaux. Indeed, it is arguably the most beautiful wine village in all France. Nearly everything about Saint-Émilion is centered on wine; even the church in Saint-Émilion is a cellar. And lest you think that Saint-Émilion has just recently succumbed to contemporary commercialism or sold itself to the modern mania for all that is Bacchanalian, rest assured that very little has changed in principle in this village since antiquity: Saint-Émilion was founded by the Romans, who used it as a viticultural bastion in the burgeoning area they named Burdigala.

Interestingly, there are two distinct districts of Saint-Émilion, each possessing a special terroir. Both districts produce compelling red wines, but of a different sort. Typically, the côtes or hills upon the escarpment yield the fullest, slowest to mature wines of Saint-Émilion. Here the soil is nearly all limestone and the resulting wine is more apt to act like a great Cabernet based wine of the Médoc. The other distinct district of Saint-Émilion lies on the plateau adjoining Pomerol, where the soil is comprised of sand and gravel. Here the wines tend to be fleshier and quicker to mature. Each style is authentic Saint-Émilion, which allows the savvy consumer double the pleasure.

Merlot is the predominant grape of Saint-Émilion. Here Cabernet Franc and to a lesser extent Cabernet Sauvignon play important supporting roles. However, Saint-Émilion can be produced from Merlot alone or from any combination or percentage of the six traditional red Bordeaux grape varieties (Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Carmenère). No commercial white wine is made in Saint-Émilion or is permitted to be sold as Saint-Émilion.

Many of the most illustrious Bordeaux wines hail from Saint-Émilion, including the legendary Château Cheval Blanc.

Salud!
Don

What to Look for in January

January 12, 2018 by Don Lahey

In January, The International Wine of the Month Club’s Premier Series is proud to offer members four special wines from Italy and France. To begin this month’s odyssey, we travel first to Italy where you will discover Sergio Gomba’s 2015 Querciola Barbera d’Alba, a wine that underscores Gomba’s hot hand with Barbera and highlights his ability to consistently fashion rich, velvety Barbera d’Alba that is both mouth-filling and easy to drink. The 2015 vintage in Piemonte yielded exceptional Barberas, wines that are both rich in fruit and firmly structured. Gomba’s 2015 Querciola Barbera d’Alba expresses the sensual side of Barbera. It offers up a savory aroma that reminds us of the finest traditional Barbera wines of yesteryear. Gomba fashions his Barbera d’Alba to be drunk young, yet with the ability to age beautifully in the bottle for five or six years. The wine’s deep ruby and purple color exudes savory scents of ripe Bing cherries, lavender, plum, violets, and woodland berries. In the mouth, the wine’s captivating aromas seep into the flavors of the wine and glide easily across the tongue and around the mouth in an offering of beautiful Barbera fruit along with deft touches of spice – all held together by ripe tannins.

Our next feature this month hails from France and a secluded mountain vineyard in the South of France – the 2016 Secret de L’Enfer Chardonnay. This Chardonnay puts many Mâcon and New World Chardonnays to shame. It relies upon beautifully ripe Chardonnay fruit grown in a mineral-rich terroir for its flavor rather than on copious amounts of toasted oak and a host of other “smoke and mirrors.” Apple, pear, and apricot scents mingled with the aroma of freshly baked bread waft from the glass. Fresh, energetic, and wonderfully varietal in flavor, the 2016 Secret de L’Enfer Chardonnay expands in the mouth, offering the savory flavors of orchard fruits along with a delightful minerality born of the vineyard’s exceptional terroir. Pinpoint precision and balanced acidity provide a moderately long finish, all of which add to the wine’s overall appeal. Uncomplicated, but not simple, the 2016 Secret de L’Enfer Chardonnay is a natural tasting Chardonnay that could easily be mistaken for a very fine white Burgundy: it exemplifies the varietal and provides plenty of drinking pleasure without the preponderance of oak.

This month’s next venture is the 2012 Château Argadens Bordeaux Supérieur, a wine wrapped in a beautiful ruby and garnet robe. The 2012 Château Argadens presents itself as the poster child for Right Bank Bordeaux. This delicious blend of 63% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Cabernet Franc offers generous fruit, surprising complexity and supple balance, which have no doubt contributed to the consistently high marks this wine has earned in tastings and competitions. Enticing aromas of boysenberry, cassis (also known as blackcurrant), cedar and spice waft from the glass. At first, this wine appears light, lovely, and eminently drinkable in the mouth, but there is more to come so there is no need to rush this well-crafted Bordeaux as red and black berry fruit flavors backed by seductive earth tones and velvety tannins emerge with a bit of aeration.

Rounding out this month’s Premier Series is the vibrant 2016 Domaine de la Racauderie Gautier Vouvray Sec. When the sun shines in the Loire Valley and the weather cooperates from bud break to harvest, as it did in 2016, Vouvray produces some of France’s greatest white wines as well as a bevy of exceptional values. We found no better example of this quality and value in Chenin Blanc than the 2016 Domaine de la Racauderie Gautier Vouvray Sec. From Gautier’s 2016 Vouvray Sec a pale sun-kissed robe delights the eye, but what is even more striking is the wine’s hauntingly beautiful aroma, an ethereal combination of stone fruits, orchard fruits, dried honey, and a distinctive minerality born of Vouvray’s limestone-rich tufa soil. In the mouth, the wine’s bouquet is born again. Delicate layers of flavor bearing hints of pear and quince glide across the palate, while a sensual minerality provides additional texture. As the wine makes its exit down the thirsty throat, a bright, balanced acidity refreshes the palate. Enjoy!

The International Wine of the Month Club’s Collectors Series is proud to begin 2018 with three exceptional French and Italian wines from three of the planet’s finest appellations and producers. The 2014 Château Louvie Saint-Émilion Grand Cru makes a persuasive case for two of Bordeaux’s most prestigious grapes: Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Deep in color and rich in flavor, this juicy, velvety offering exhibits all of the attributes of the very best Saint-Émilion Grand Cru. The youthful, yet already compelling, 2014 Château Louvie combines opulence with palate-pleasing flavors. Beguiling berry, cassis, and woodland scents waft from the glass to make the mouth water. Not surprisingly, these savory scents reappear in the mouth, expand, and cling to the palate in the most delightful way, but what may be most impressive about Château Louvie’s Saint-Émilion Grand Cru is the wine’s velvety texture. It possesses a wonderful mouthfeel. Sensual, yet structured, this smooth, vinous, bold-flavored wine continues to evolve in the glass for hours. It’s hard to ask for more in a young Bordeaux Saint-Émilion Grand Cru. The 2014 Château Louvie offers both fine near term drinking and the potential to age gracefully for up to a decade.

Next up is the delightful 2015 Domaine Gilles Noblet Pouilly-Fuissé. The 2014 and 2015 vintages in Pouilly-Fuissé have been heralded as the finest back to back vintages in Burgundy’s Mâcon in a generation, and in the case of Gilles Noblet’s incomparable 2015 Pouilly-Fuissé La Collonge it is unquestionably the finest wine we have encountered from this award-winning estate, which Wine Spectator has previously featured on its Top 100 List. Noblet himself has stated: “The 2015 Mâcon wines are the finest I have produced in 37 years,” which is high praise from a consummate winemaker not given to brash statements or hyperbole. Given the vintage’s shy yield and Noblet’s strict selection and insistence on quality over quantity, the 2015 Domaine Gilles Noblet Pouilly-Fuissé offers greater concentration than usual, yet the same bright sun-kissed robe and amplifying aromatics that one has come to expect in Gilles Noblet’s Pouilly-Fuissé are front and center. In fact, the wine is even better than it was last year upon first release. The wine’s seductive aroma of acacia blossoms, mountain apples, melon, and soft mineral tones are coupled with a seductive mid-palate and luxurious texture. Ripe fleshy fruit, pinpoint minerality, and a delightfully racy finish balanced by just the right amount of acidity to match the fruit render the 2015 Domaine Gilles Noblet Pouilly-Fuissé a clear standout.

Completing this month’s Collectors Series is the 2012 Poggio Salvi Brunello di Montalcino. The first impression one receives of Poggio Salvi’s highly acclaimed 2012 Brunello di Montalcino is the wine’s intense, nearly opaque ruby red color. Yet, as eye-appealing as this wine appears, it offers much more than visual appeal. Scents of wild red berries, baking spices, lavender and new leather begin to waft from the glass soon after opening. Although initially reticent like all young Brunellos, the 2012 Poggio Salvi blossoms with aeration, slowly unfolding with each sip. Flavorful but elegant, black cherry, plum, and star anise flavors emerge on the palate, where they mingle with touches of nutmeg, balsamic notes, and fine grained tannins to attest to why Brunello di Montalcino is one of Italy’s most sought after wines and why Poggio Salvi reigns as one of the appellation’s finest practitioners. Enjoy!

Bordeaux: The World’s Most Renowned Wine

December 22, 2017 by Don Lahey

Bordeaux is the world’s largest fine wine producing region, encompassing nearly 300,000 acres, 60 individual appellations, and more than 7,300 châteaux. Appellations such as Margaux, Pauillac, and St. Émilion are legendary as are the scores of collectible wines that flow from their vineyards. Indeed, the wine wares of Bordeaux (both the region and its wines are referred to as Bordeaux) are some of the finest and most expensive on Earth. Furthermore, this renowned viticultural region, which has become synonymous with full-bodied red wine, is also the traditional home of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, the three musketeers of almost all red Bordeaux and the basis for Meritage blends around the world. Malbec, Petit Verdot, and even Carmenère are other red Bordeaux varietals that figure into the cépage or blend of many Bordeaux châteaux. And what remains unknown to many consumers is that Bordeaux is also one of the planet’s largest and greatest sources of white wine, principally from Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.

Bordeaux, meaning beside the waters, refers to the region’s proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and the broad estuary, the Gironde, for which the entire viticutural department (the equivalent of a county or state in the United States) is named. Bordeaux, the region as well as the department’s leading city, lies at the center of the confluence of the Dordogne and Garonne Rivers, which flow into the Gironde, which redoubles Bordeaux’s effort to live up to its name. Moreover, it is Bordeaux’s proximity to the sea that provides a stable, moderate climate, which is favorable to the production of fine wine. This marriage to the sea has also provided the historical highway by which Bordeaux wines have traveled the world, gaining esteem and recognition long before most other landlocked wine regions were able to safely transport their wines overland to eager markets.

Since the first century BCE, when the Romans established themselves in Bordeaux and referred to the area as Biturigiaca, this ancient viticultural paradise has been a constant source of fine wine. Known to the emperors of Rome, popes, and poets (most notably Pliny and Ausonius), Bordeaux has enjoyed the envy of the wine producing world longer than any other wine region on Earth. From Pliny to the most contemporary wine critics, including Robert Parker Jr., Bordeaux wines have never gone out of favor. Besides, what other wine region can claim three millennia of continuous production and millions of satisfied customers?

Salud!
Don

What to Look for in December

December 8, 2017 by Don Lahey

In December, The International Wine of the Month Club’s Premier Series is proud to offer our members four special, highly allocated wines. The 2016 Artesana Tannat Merlot Zinfandel emanates from the diminutive but highly acclaimed Artesana winery, which was named Uruguay Winery of the Year 2017 by the New York International Wine Competition. Artesana is also the only winery in Uruguay to cultivate Zinfandel, America’s unique grape varietal. In the hands of two highly skilled women, Analía Lazaneo and Valentina Gatti, this unique offering combines power and panache in one bold, flavor-packed wine. The 2016 Artesana Tannat Merlot Zinfandel exhibits a deep purple, nearly opaque, color that foreshadows the wine’s depth and extraction. More impressive still is the wine’s heady bouquet of ripe black fruits, fig, dark chocolate and spice. Although delightfully scented and intriguing in aroma, the 2016 Artesana Tannat Merlot Zinfandel truly comes to fore on the palate, where it offers plenty of mouth-filling flavors in the form of crushed black and red berries, bramble, chocolate and coffee along with hints of aromatic woods, all backed by ripe, sensuous tannins.

Our next feature this month hails from northern Italy and the renowned Stefano Massone, who never fails to turn in a first rate performance in fashioning exceptional Gavi. Nevertheless, Massone’s 2016 San Cristoforo Gavi di Gavi may rank as the finest he has ever produced. A glass of Massone’s San Cristoforo epitomizes the Cortese grape’s finest attributes: elegance, finesse, and laser-like flavors. The 2016 Massone San Cristoforo Gavi di Gavi offers a beautiful straw-colored robe and delicate perfume resplendent with the scents of freshly squeezed grapes, acacia flowers and lemon/lime zest. And of course there is Gavi’s calling card – a refreshing finish, so reminiscent of the mineral-rich waters of a cold mountain stream. Add a soft but refreshing mid-palate and impeccable balance to the wine’s racy finish and Stefano Massone’s 2016 San Cristoforo Gavi di Gavi truly shines.

This month’s next venture is the 2015 Jacques Girardin Bourgogne Pinot Noir Vieilles Vignes. Jacques Girardin consistently fashions authentic, elegant red Burgundy, but his latest release, the 2015 Domaine Jacques Girardin Bourgogne Pinot Noir Vieilles Vignes, may be the finest value in all red Burgundy. Born during the exceptional 2015 vintage, the 2015 Jacques Girardin Bourgogne Pinot Noir Vieilles Vignes is fresh, supple, and downright seductive. Elegance and finesse are this wine’s calling cards, as it offers up an enticing bouquet of red and black currants, cherries, and wild woodland berries. Although lithe and delicate in structure, it never lacks for character or flavor. Pure fruit and berry flavors mingle with subtle touches of spice and Burgundian earth to satisfy the palate. In short, this Vieilles Vignes Burgundy Pinot Noir from 50+ year old vines exemplifies the delicacy and finesse inherent in authentic Burgundian Pinot Noir.

Rounding out this month’s Premier Series is the vibrant 2016 Château La Gabarre Bordeaux Blanc. A tiny production, the 2016 Château La Gabarre Bordeaux Blanc is a classic full-flavored blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Vinified in stainless steel for maximum freshness, it offers the taster a delightful draft of traditional Bordeaux Blanc. The preponderance of Sauvignon Blanc gives the wine its attractive aromatic profile, while Semillon provides additional body, texture, and a smoother, longer mid-palate and finish. Redolent with savory notes of ripe melon, citrus and white peach, the 2016 La Gabarre Bordeaux Blanc captures the nose with its enticing bouquet. The wine’s sensual appeal continues in the mouth, where deep drafts of melon, citrus and minerals combine to embrace the palate. If you are looking for an innocuous white wine with a fade-away finish, you will want to look elsewhere: the 2016 Château La Gabarre Bordeaux Blanc is anything but a wallflower. It embodies flavor, freshness, and vivacity.

The International Wine of the Month Club’s Collectors Series is proud to offer our members three additional world-class wines this month beginning with the 2015 Domaine du Grand Tinel Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The 2015 Domaine du Grand Tinel Châteauneuf-du-Pape emanates from the finest vintage in the southern Rhône Valley since 2010 and constitutes another outstanding effort from Grand Tinel, which is arguably one of Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s most consistently high performing estates. Ripe cherries, kirsch, spice, plum, and hints of savory herbs abound in the bouquet. In the mouth, deep flavors mixed with Provençal herbs, fennel, and smoked meat flavors entertain the palate, while fine grained tannins provide a long, satisfying finish that bodes well for the wine’s longevity. Although powerful and full-bodied on account of traditional winemaking and the predominance of old vine Grenache (70%), Syrah (25%), and Mourvèdre (5%), the 2015 Grand Tinel exhibits a brightness and suavity that also allow it to drink well young.

Next up is the mouthwatering 2015 Fore Family Vineyards Napa Valley Carneros Albariño from the Stewart Vineyard. In true Fore Family fashion, the winery’s debut vintage of Albariño offers plenty of bold flavors and is anything but a light, wimpy white wine. With an inviting gleam the color of sunshine and enticing aromas of pit fruits, lemon zest, and honeysuckle, this 2015 Fore Family Albariño welcomes the taster from the moment it is poured. More aromatic and structured than its Spanish counterparts, Fore Family’s 2015 Albariño nevertheless retains Albariño’s bright acidity and distinct minerality, which render it one satisfying and refreshing white wine, and a welcome alternative to Chardonnay. In the mouth, one encounters a wealth of fruit, pit, and stone flavors that are superbly rendered on a sea of bright acidity. Balanced, bold, and vivacious, the Fore Family’s first venture with Albariño is sure to make heads turn.

Completing this month’s Collectors Series is the 2014 Fore Family Vineyards Napa Valley Meister Vineyard Merlot. With this Merlot, put aside any preconceived notions about Merlot being a light, less than stalwart companion to Cabernet. In Fore Family’s 2014 Meister Vineyard Merlot, a deep, nearly impenetrable color underscores this wine’s hearty structure and extroverted personality. Ripe but firm tannins underpin layers of rich cassis fruit, hints of tobacco leaf, and cacao in the nose and flavor profile of this wine, calling to mind the finest Merlot based wines of Bordeaux’s legendary St. Émilion appellation. Enjoy!

A Week in Provence

November 17, 2017 by Don Lahey

Like the sirens wooing unsuspecting sailors to its shores, Provence lures all who hear its song. Its temptations are too great to resist: sun, sea, scintillating landscapes that shimmer in illuminated rarified air, and an almost endless array of delicious wines to enchant and thoroughly captivate the unsuspecting traveler. A sun-drenched land ideal for the cultivation of the vine since the ancient Phoenicians first plied its shores, Provence continues to entice all who venture there.

Provence draws me back to itself like no other wine country. This past summer I spent a glorious (much too short) week in Provence rediscovering the magical wines of that fabled land. My cohorts and I traipsed the scenic seaside village of Bandol, the mistral scoured hinterlands of the Côteaux Varois, and the sun-splashed Vaucluse, the most enchanting of Provence’s favored wine countries.

Our sojourn included visits to Domaine Bunan, renowned for its exceptional red and rosé Bandol wines; Château Magui, an iconic Provençal estate recently purchased by Steven Spielberg that lies tucked in the hinterlands of the Côteaux Varois; Domaine Pierre Usseglio and the fabled Château Beaucastel, two legendary wine estates in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which is France’s first appellation and presently Provence’s brightest star. We ended our quest for wonderful wine among the aspiring villages of the Côtes-du-Rhône, where fine wines abound at affordable prices and each year another star rises.

Our most rewarding stops in the Côtes-du-Rhône were Domaine de Cabasse and Domaine Chamfort. Both fashion wines from the tiny villages of Sablet and Séguret as well as the better known appellations of Vacqueyras and Gigondas – all within sight of the Dentelles de Montmirail, the last outcropping of the Alps that tumble down into Provence. Domaine de Cabasse turns out an enviable array of Southern Rhône classics, not the least of which are the estate’s delicious, recently released 2016 Côtes-du-Rhônes, while Domaine Chamfort, under the leadership of the indefatigable Vasco Perdigao, shines as the newest star in the Côtes-du-Rhône constellation.

Domaine Chamfort owes its present status to the young, energetic, totally committed owner and winemaker Vascao Perdigao. Perdigao purchased the property and its venerable old vines in 2010. He has restored the estate’s old vines using organic and biodynamic practices and has become an avid proponent of experimentation to push the envelope. Each successive vintage of Domaine Chamfort’s Côtes-du-Rhônes, which include wines from Sablet, Séguret, Rasteau, Vacqueyras and Gigondas, have all revealed a higher level of concentration, sophistication, and pleasure. In fact, we found Vascao’s wines hard to beat in both quality and value. Moreover, a more enthusiastic and effusive winemaker is hard to find – another reason to harken the call that beckons and answer the sirens’ song.

Salud!
Don

What to Look For In November

November 10, 2017 by Don Lahey

In November, The International Wine of the Month Club’s Premier Series offers four more special wines from Spain and “lands down under.” The 2014 Bodega Diaz Bayo Ribera del Duero Crianza leads this month’s charge. Bold, beautiful, and full of mouth filling flavors, the 2014 Diaz Bayo Ribera del Duero Crianza emanates from 100% Tempranillo vines averaging over 50 years of age from two high altitude vineyards. This traditional Ribera del Duero exhibits rich aromatics as well as considerable flavor and structure. Cherry and mulberry fruit blended with spicy balsamic notes and traces of spice and new oak make a splendid aromatic introduction. Equally engaging and authoritative on the palate, the 2014 Diaz Bayo Crianza expands in the mouth, offering rich fruit, subtle spice tones, and sufficient tannin to carry it into the next decade and beyond.

Our next feature is the delicious 2014 Mont Marçal Reserva Brut, a rare vintage cava from one of Spain’s finest producers. Mont Marçal promises elegance and a light airy appeal from the moment it is poured and its tiny pinpoint bubbles stream exuberantly to the top of the glass. Commemorative, celebratory, spontaneous, and versatile, the 2014 Mont-Marçal Reserva Brut resonates with supreme elegance, flavor and texture. It offers ethereal scents of spring flowers and golden pears infused with a touch of fennel and a gentle minerality. Light, clean, and clearly delineated in the mouth, its fruit flavors glide easily across the tongue. In a world in which authenticity is hard to come by, the 2014 Mont-Marçal Brut Reserva makes a delightfully strong case for cava – Spain’s esteemed sparkling wine.

This month’s next venture is the 2010 Formby & Adams Leading Horse Langhorne Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, a tribute to the family’s leaders who have propelled Formby & Adams and the Brothers in Arms winery to the forefront of boutique Australian producers of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. The 2010 Leading Horse Cabernet Sauvignon displays an enticing bouquet of berries, mint, and hints of anise and nutmeg. In the mouth, the wine offers soft, succulent flavors infused with blackberry fruit, mint, dark chocolate and coffee, while dusty tannins make a nice frame around the wine’s well-integrated fruit, herb and spice flavors – all of which lead to a graceful, pleasant aftertaste. The 2010 Formby & Adams Leading Horse Langhorne Creek Cabernet Sauvignon is a wine made for graceful ageing, and ageing well it has.

Rounding out this month’s Premier Series is the vibrant 2015 Sherwood Waipara Riesling. Entrancing scents of apple, peach and apricot waft from the glass and settle in the soul of this concentrated Riesling. Pure fruit and floral flavors emerge in the mouth to ingratiate the palate. Rich and concentrated, yet lively and long, the 2015 Sherwood Waipara Riesling makes a stunning case for Waipara as a source of world-class wine. Endowed with a delightful fruitiness and a winning outgoing personality, it’s easy to imagine consuming the better part of a bottle of Sherwood’s Waipara Riesling all by oneself.

The International Wine of the Month Club’s Collectors Series is proud to offer our members three additional world-class wines this month beginning with the 2012 Fore Family Vineyards Carneros Napa Pinot Noir. The 2012 vintage in Carneros yielded a bevy of exciting Pinot Noirs, but few can match the depth and beauty of the Fore Family’s 2012 Carneros Napa Pinot Noir – perhaps the very reason it garnered Gold at the prestigious San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Few California producers dare to fashion a Pinot as bold and beautiful as the Fore Family. The Fore Family’s 2012 Carneros Napa Pinot Noir is rich, concentrated and layered with the nuanced flavors of freshly picked blackberries, Morello cherries, cinnamon, rose petals and exotic spices.

Next up is Ayla’s Brut Majeur Champagne N.V. from one of the longest established houses in Champagne. Ayla’s Brut Majeur displays classic elegance from the moment it is poured, offering a color of pale gold, a fine mousse, and beautiful aromatics. Fashioned primarily from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes from Grand and Premier vineyards, Ayla’s Brut Majeur offers a harmonious bouquet of apple blossoms, freshly baked bread and white flowers. In the mouth, this Brut Majeur offers laser-like precision, complex fruit and mineral flavors and a beautifully clean, vivacious finish. Balance and harmony are Ayla’s calling cards, and each reigns supreme in the Ayla Brut Majeur. It is no surprise that Ayla’s Brut Majeur has earned 90+ ratings from Decanter, Wine Enthusiast, Wine Spectator, Vinous, and others.

Completing this month’s Collectors Series is the exceptional 2011 Trinchero Napa Valley Meritage. Suave, sophisticated, and utterly enjoyable now, the 2011 Trinchero Napa Valley Meritage is one of the vintage’s great successes. A delicious blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Malbec, Trinchero’s 2011 Meritage delivers both the sophistication of top-rated Classified Growth Bordeaux and the clean, plush fruit of the finest Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons, the very reasons no doubt it has earned numerous 90 point ratings, including 90 points from Wine Enthusiast. This is a wine that far outstrips in quality and enjoyment the vast majority of big names in Napa Valley Cabernet. Enjoy!

Sauld!
Don

Happy Anniversary to The International Wine of the Month Club’s Bold Reds Wine Club: Come Celebrate With Us!

October 18, 2017 by Don Lahey

The International Wine of the Month Club’s Bold Reds Wine Club celebrates its first birthday this month. We launched this club in October 2016 and thanks to the overwhelmingly positive response, The Bold Reds Wine Club has become a resounding success and continues to grow. To all of our members who have enjoyed the special selections in the Bold Reds club, we say a heartfelt thank you! To all who enjoy bold red wines and have not yet sampled these richly flavored world-class red wines, we invite you to celebrate with us with an International Wine of the Month Club Bold Reds membership. Here is what the Bold Reds club is all about.

The Bold Reds Wine Club features medium to full-bodied red wines of deep color and robust flavors from around the globe. Although delicacy and charm are admirable attributes in wines, many red wine drinkers crave the rich, complex flavors that only bold red wines can offer – wines of pronounced varietal character, as alcohol alone does not make a bold red wine: rich fruit flavors, pronounced ripe tannins, well-integrated oak tones from the right amount of barrel ageing, and the deft hand of a skilled winemaker in the finest of vintages yields bold reds worthy to be sent to members of The International Wine of the Month Club’s Bold Reds club. Full-bodied California Cabernets brimming with varietal character, single vineyard red Zinfandels, sublime Priorats and splendid Ribera del Dueros from Spain, Châteauneuf-du-Papes and flavor-packed Grenache offerings from Languedoc and the Rhône Valley, as well as highly acclaimed Carmenères, Cabernets and Malbec blends from South America are just some of the superb bold red wines you can expect to receive each month from our Bold Reds club. And on occasion, members may even receive an award winning, full-bodied Pinot Noir from Napa Valley’s Carneros district.

Some of this year’s bold reds include the award winning 2013 Obsidian Ridge Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Priorats from Galena and Pasanau, two of the formidable Priorat appellation’s most renowned producers, the newly released 2014 Chapel Hill McLaren Vale Shiraz, and the extremely limited production and a once in a lifetime offering of the 2012 Intuicion Solo Una Vez, a bold, beautiful blend of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Our upcoming November and December Bold Reds club will feature equally exciting wines: the 2012 Fore Family Vineyards Carneros Napa Valley Pinot Noir, a Pinot Noir of extraordinary richness, complexity and structure worthy enough to be a Bold Red, and the outstanding soon to be released 2015 Domaine du Grand Tinel Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Come celebrate our first anniversary with us with a glass of bold red wine from The International Wine of the Month Club.

Salud!
Don

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