Pink Wines

• The blend for this 2007 California Rosé is 67% Grenache, 30% Carignane, and 3% Viognier. The wine is a bright, lovely pale pink color, revealing mouthwatering aromas of cherry blossom, watermelon, wild strawberries and apricots. Light- to medium-bodied in weight, the flavors are a focused beam of bright berry, ripe peach and nectarine with hints of mineral and spiciness from the Carignane. A lively acidity carries the flavors to a crisp, refreshing finish.
  
  
• This 2008 California Rosé is made in the style of the wonderful Rosés of Tavel, Lirac and Bandol. A small portion of juice is bled off (saignée) the freshly de-stemmed must. The juice is then allowed to ferment naturally to dryness for five months in experienced barrels, sur lie. This wine is wonderfully colored with a true pink hue and has delicate aromas of raspberries, nectarines, green grasses, rhubarb and strawberries with cream. On the palate, it is full yet buoyed up by great acidity and plenty of fresh fruit character that keeps it crisp, lively, and ever so enjoyable. Rosés are a great companion to most foods and are just plain fun to drink.
  
  
• This 2007 Sonoma County Rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon is a delightful, refreshing wine that is a brilliant deep ruby in color. Aromas of fresh, well-ripened strawberries and cream with hints of cranberries and just-crushed grapes, the wine has multiple layers of flavors, an enticing minerality, a rich mid-palate, and a clean, bright finish. Delicious as an aperitif or as a wonderful complement to food.

Matching Red Wines

• The blend for this 2007 Cotes du Rhone red is Grenache Noir (60%), Syrah (30%), and Cinsault (10%). The color is purple-tinged garnet. The aromatic range of the nose goes from fresh berries (wild raspberry, blackcurrant, blackberry) to spices. The palate is big and full-flavored, with silky-smooth tannins and aromas of the aforementioned fruit. The finish introduces touches of liquorice and pepper. Ideal throughout the meal, but particularly with poultry and other white meats, as well as mild cheeses. Drink now through 2012.
  
  
• A wine for everyday drinking, this 2005 from Languedoc, France is blended mainly from Merlot (for fruit and structure) and Cinsault (for balance and length), with some Carignan, Syrah, Grenache or even Cabernet Sauvignon depending on the vintage. This medium-bodied wine should be drunk young (2-3 years) for its fruit, but some vintages have aged well also.
  
  
• This 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon is a mix of diverse vineyard sites throughout California; a combination of fruit that produces an elegant, structured and delicious profile. The diversity of Napa Valley’s appellations provide the Cabernet with round, blackberry flavors from the valley floor and dark, complex mocha-like flavors from the hillsides. Volcanic soils and the higher elevation in vineyards northeast of Napa Valley help produce a wine with structure and a mineral component. Fruit from the rocky red soils and moderate climate of the Central Valley adds balance, soft tannins, silky texture and bright red fruit flavors to the wine. In contrast to these warmer regions, the cool climate and longer harvest of coastal vineyards allow for more earthiness and acidity resulting in a black tea-laced wine with spicy red fruit and peppercorns.

 

Appetizer of the Week

Italian Stuffed Shells - $8

 

For more specific information on these great wines, or to taste for yourself, stop by the Tasting Room at Wines by Jennifer this week. We look forward to seeing you!