Big Fat Wine

2007 Root:1 Sauvignon Blanc

Where it’s from:The coastal valley of Casablanca in Chile, where Vina Ventisquero produces its Root: 1 wines — so-called for the grapes grown on ungrafted root systems. The winery states that its products “are living proof that character comes from your roots.” It focuses on chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, cabernet sauvignon and carmenere.
We enjoyed this wine so much, it stood out over the 3 reds we had that evening at Cork in Tacoma. Immediately, your nose picks up on a deep aroma of apricots meshed with mandarin oranges and a hint of vanilla and mineral. This wine went wonderful with the French Brie and everything else we nibbled on! We would highly recommend this wine for purchase and especially on a hot summer day. It’s clean and sweet, but a fruity sweet that isn’t overpowering. Overall, it gets a “VOLUPTUOUS” Score from Big Fat Wine. An outstanding wine of exceptional complexity and character. Terrific!

[JBC]27June2010 / BFW

2007 ”CSM” Red 

I have to come right out and give this a ”VOLUPTUOUS” Score from Big Fat Wine. An outstanding wine of exceptional complexity and character. Terrific! From the label (yes I said label) to the deep jam colors and aromatic red fruits mixed with brown sugar, this bottle presents itself romantically well! Where it’s from: (winemaker notes)“100% of the fruit was sourced from the Wahluke Slope, a warm region known for ripe, jammy reds. The most northern Ste. Michelle growing area, the Wahluke Slope is bordered on both the west and the south by the Columbia River. The region’s warm days cause the grapes to assert sweet citrus and tropical characteristics, while the cool nights promote good structure, balance and flavor intensity”. The wine review section started with a white wine! I have been reminding myself that for about 2 weeks. So now I leap forward to one of our favorite places, Chateau Ste. Michelle. This wine was part of our membership wines and we couldn’t wait any longer to pour some at home.  Blend: 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Syrah, 7% Malbec. It has some of my favorite qualities; It is a “heavy” red blend, balanced but pronounced tannins, and the ”sparky” berries stay with you long afterwards. It is late at night so firing up the grill is probably not going to happen. This is one for the beef slab. The huge chunk of London broil that Jona tosses onto the rack and sears it on both sides, slices up and tosses it on your plate before it event knows it was out of the package. This wine is however, beautiful by itself. Color depth is deep and a purple garnet hue. The nose is definitely tobacco / leather /blackberry /  fig. It is grapey, thick and lasting. Perfect for these cool Washington “summers”. C’mon summer. Get with it! Red’s will dominate our tasting reviews because that is what we prefer. I guess what that also means that when a white is spoken highly of, it is worth the leap.
 

[JBC]5July2010 / BFW

Tomero Petite Verdot Reserva 2006

Where it’s from:Mendoza, Argentina. Tomero wines are named for the TOMERO. The TOMERO became a part of the vineyard livelihood in 1883 and his presencecontinues today. His job is the distribution of irrigation water in those vineyards which, by law, are entitled to use the river water.  The TOMERO is hired by the landowners, and his job is to open and close the “Toma De Agua” (water intake channel) of each estate according to the number of water hours assigned.

This wine is reportedly aged in French Oak for 15 mos. and its  color was a deep purple and black. Nicely balanced would be an understatement, and quite honestly, that is what made this wine stand out. Full-bodied red with black plum and blackberry aromas.  Very  concentrated but not heavy. The tannins were very smooth on the back to the tongue which was very refreshing. Perfect for beefs of all varieties. Overall, it receives a “VOLUPTUOUS” Score from Big Fat Wine. An outstanding wine of exceptional complexity and character. Terrific! This is beginning to sound like a broken record but it really was a great bottle. Perhaps our ratings will vary as we review more often including more of a variety of wines.

[JBC]1Aug2010 / BFW

2006 Faithful Hound

Where it’s from: Mulderbosch is situated in the prime Koelenhof area of Stellenbosch, South Africa.

41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Petit Verdot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 9% Merlot, 4% Malbec. From the winemaker: The grapes were handpicked and crushed into stainless steel fermenters where the must was cold soaked overnight and allowed to begin fermentation spontaneously. The mash was then inoculated with a variety of cultured yeasts. The wine fermented dry on the skins, was pressed and underwent malolactic fermentation before being blended and racked to barrel for maturation. A light fining and filtration was applied just before bottling.

Total production: 6600 x 12 x 750ml
Fermentation temperature: 22° – 28° C
Wood ageing: 18 months - 42% new and 58% 2nd fill French oak barrels (225 litre)

Created as a tribute to Boes (“Bushy” in Afrikaans), the loyal dog that kept watch over Mulderbosch farm for three years after his owner’s death.

We first enjoyed this bottle @ Winestyles in Federal Way, WA. This Bordeaux style South African Blend is deep ruby- rich black in color. An immediate burst of plums and honey hits the rear taste buds. Iron, tobacco, dark fruit and coffee! If that doesn’t make your tastebuds perk up, especially in Seattle, nothing will. The tannins are smooth and the 30 second aftertaste was a “creamy licorice” flavor. If you can’t tell, we love it!

Overall, it gets a “VOLUPTUOUS (+)” Score from Big Fat Wine. An outstanding wine of exceptional complexity and character. Terrific!

[JBC]20August2010 / BFW