In Monday's discussion of "Offbeat Blends," we talked about the merits
of blending grape varieties (like Bordeaux) as opposed to the advantages
of making wines 100 percent from a single variety (Burgundy, for
instance).
In pursuit of the edges of the envelope, Monday's column featured a
California wine that married California's own Zinfandel and a Bordeaux
blend of grapes in roughly equal proportions, and did so surprisingly
well, the more austere Bordeaux grapes toning down the Zin's natural
exuberance in a wine of real elegance and grace.
Today, let's wrap up the week with a virtual taste of another wacky
California blend.
Wine maker Kent Rosenblum, a veterinarian and once-time home wine maker
turned pro, pays homage to his veterinary background with a doggy theme:
In addition to the punning moniker, Rosenblum's "Chateau La Paws Cote Du
Bone Roan" bears a dog bone and canine footprints across the label.
Those who normally shun wines with cute animal labels can tread safely
here, though: In spite of the undeniable "cuteness" of the labeling,
this wine is quite serious. An offbeat blend of the Rhone-style flavors
of Syrah (70%), Mourvedre (10%) and Carignane (8%), it adds a
substantial splash of Zinfandel (12%) to add an exuberant edge of sunny
California fruit to the flavor mix.
The winery declares it a "Southern Rhône style wine ... reminiscent of a
Côte du Rhône from the South of France, but with a Rosenblum twist."
I'm not sure I'd go that far. Its hefty 14.9% alcohol and that very
berry Zin component mark it clearly New World. I don't get a real echo
of the Rhone here, but some of the sunnier slopes of Languedoc in a hot
vintage ... maybe.
That's nitpicking, though. It's a big but surprisingly elegant red, and
the high alcohol doesn't diminish its competence at the dinner table as
companion to steaks, prime rib or even a hearty ratatouille.
If you have a comment about this wine or this topic, I hope you'll drop
in and post a reply in our WineLovers Discussion Group, where you'll
find this column at
http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewtopic.php?t=9668
Here's my tasting report.
________________________________________________________________________
ROSENBLUM CELLARS 2005 "CHATEAU LA PAWS" CALIFORNIA COTE DU BONE ROAN
This unusual blend of Carignane, Syrah, Mourvedre and a ration of
Zinfandel is inky blackish-purple in color. It offers up ripe black
fruit aromas with notes of spice, smoke and meat. Plummy, almost pruney
fruit flavors are warm and full with 14.9% alcohol, but there's good
acidity there to give it structure, and a sense of balance that spares
it from dismissal as just another California whack-you-upside-the-head
big boy. (July 18, 2007)
FOOD MATCH: Bold meets bold in a happy marriage when I paired it with
the streamlined summer version of ratatouille featured in yesterday's
Wine Advisor FoodLetter, a hearty, meatless melange of garden-fresh
eggplant, summer squash and tomatoes with onions, garlic, green peppers
and lots of fruity green olive oil.
VALUE: Absolutely no grounds for complaint at this just-over-$10 price
point.
WHEN TO DRINK: Gauging the aging potential of one-of-a-kind blends can
be iffy, but the fruit, structure and balance of this sturdy red
certainly suggests the possibility of evolution with several years of
cellar time. If you're feeling adventurous, it wouldn't take much of an
investment to put a few away just to see what they do.
Copy & paste to friend: (Click inside box; Ctrl + C to copy; Ctrl + V to paste)
|
|
read more blogs!
|