Don's Gillette's Weekly Wine Blog
Weekly musings from our store's resident wine guru
Don has over thirty years experience in the wine industry. For the last eighteen years his attention has been focused on the growing local industry. Don has a large following of customers who search out his opinions (never in short supply!) on new releases and on what's currently most distinctive on our shelves. Others seek his insights on wineries and trends that are still under the radar. Check back here each week for Don's latest thoughts on various wine-related topics. Read Don's full bio...
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Winter Comforts
Specificity is something I prize in wines, so is individuality. I welcome the elements that promote those traits. Freshness, focus, intensity of aroma and flavor, varietal accuracy and enchanting characteristics unique to a particular vineyard or distinctive blend impress me. Classy stuff to talk about, until it turns cold.
Some well defined wines have a narrow range. Dry Malvasia is so floral that it clashes with many foods, and it is almost exclusively a summer wine. Pinot Noir, creamy whites and red Bordeaux varietals are more versatile, and they make wonderfully successful winter wines. Even when not particularly distinctive, they can still be generous and harmonious. Comfort wines, to match winter's comfort meals.
This October, I attended a dinner at restaurant Lulu. JP, a valued customer, asked me to provide wines from NVWE to match the menu. Lulu roasted chicken and roast beef, cooked in an old fashioned wood-burning oven. I brought the newly released 2003 Amicus Meritage. Its combination of soft tannins, plush texture and darkly fruity/foresty aroma proved just the ticket. The next day I ordered 22 cases for our Holiday newsletter. It is, after all, comfort food season.
A similar logic was at work when Denise bought over fifty cases of 2003 Coyote Canyon Big Pond Pinot Noir. My own first sip brought back memories of my Mom's roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy. It is dark, rich, aromatic and supple. Yummy stuff.
Some more comfortable favorites for the coming weeks:
2004 Bommarito Cabernet: $19.95
2004 Duckhorn Decoy Meritage: $28.95
2002 Xtant Cabernet: $74.95
2003 Whitehall Lane Merlot: $25.95
2004 Hendry Block 7 Zinfandel: $28.95
2005 Sonoma Loeb Chardonnay: $26.95
2005 Flora Springs Chardonnay: $27.95
2004 Kenneth Volk Chardonnay: $33.95
2004 Heintz Sonoma Coast Chardonnay: $39.95