Tag Archives: Merlot

My Wild Irish Wine šŸ·šŸ€šŸ§šŸ»ā€ā™€ļø

With the luck oā€™ the Irish at yer back, may you find health, happiness and a pot of gold. Okay, thatā€™s not really a blessing but a mashup of a few.

St. Patrickā€™s Day is a sure sign that spring is on its way. And spring is often viewed as a season of magic and alchemy. Wine is also a blend of magic and alchemy. Especially Irish wine.

Growing conditions in the Emerald Isle can pose many challenges to winemaking. And thatā€™s where the magic comes in.

I first wrote about my quest for the 2015 Lusca Cab/Merlot in 2018 so this is a bit of a fun throwback.

Established in 2002 by fruit alchemist David LLewellyn, Lusca cultivates several varieties of grapes including Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot, Dunkelfelder and Rondo – a grape that can heartily withstand Irelandā€™s damp, misty weather.

Click the video to learn more about Irish wine and how its made!šŸ‘‡šŸ€

A few years ago I was determined to find my little pot of gold, and I did. To read more about my search click here. Since then this lucky bottle has remained, relatively undisturbed, in my little cellar wine fridge. I hope itā€™s been enough to ensure its good condition. All told, it has aged about 9 years. I had many thoughts before opening: has it already peaked? Is it a delightful vinegar? But maybe luck would be on my side.

There was only one way to find outā€¦

Time to release the wine!

To be safe, I decanted for about 2 hours. I wanted to let it open up as fully as possible to make a fair assessment. So how was it?

It didnā€™t turn to vinegar! I wasnā€™t as concerned about the wine as my storage. I donā€™t have a fancy wine cellar, and occasionally had to move the bottle around. I had been worried that after all this time, maybe some oxygen had gotten inside. But I was so happy that all seemed to be well. Magic!

It was a lighter bodied Cab/Merlot. I enjoyed delicate notes of blackberry, dried herbs, and a pleasant, earthy cedar undercurrent. I found myself swirling my glass often to coax out every essence. It had a clear, deep ruby color giving way to a slight brownish rim variation (the outer edge of the wine). This suggests aging of the wine. I didnā€™t notice any nutty or toffee flavors that indicate an oxidized wine.

As I tasted, I noticed the sun was shining – here in the Cleve we catch it while we can- so I bundled up, sipped my glass outside.

To find out more or to order a bottle visit: The Celtic Whiskey Shop & Wines on the Green. They are super friendly and helpful.

I send you all the blessings to have a safe, fun and magical St. Patrickā€™s Day! āœØ

SlĆ”inte!šŸ·šŸ€

Winey Friday: Curmudgeon Red Blend

The other day, I gently brushed off a favorite old collection of stories that I hadnā€™t seen in a while. The spine cracked open as a puff of dust billowed up. It revealed a tale of adventure and thirst. A thirst that could only be quenched byā€¦ wine. The name of this tome: my blog, The Wine Student.

If weā€™re speaking truths here, I havenā€™t been very motivated to write lately. With everything happening in the world, Iā€™ve really only wanted to curl up under a blanket and not come out ā€˜til the coast is clear. And since Iā€™m already in my stretchy pants and sweatshirtā€¦ also, Iā€™m a little crabby. You might even say, a little curmudgeonly.

The other day, I found myself in the wine section of my local store (one of the few times I venture out) and I found myself just staring off into space for a split second. But what brought me back to earth was some of the label art in front of me. I started to see a theme: the label art was getting kinda dark.

But maybe it was just meā€¦

And yet, the Curmudgeon spoke to me.
From Parlier, California, this Curmudgeon is actually a friendly blend of 42% Zinfandel, 32% Merlot, & 26% Petit Verdot. Fermented in stainless steel, then aged 3 months in Kentucky bourbon barrels, this wine smelled amazing right at the first pour. Wafting scents of vanilla, and caramel was a nice preview of coming attractions. I let it open up a bit to coax out the flavors of stewed blackberry, dark chocolate, caramel and a hint of smoky spice. Because of the high percentage of Zin in the mix, it was very fruit forward, jammy- a little sweet-ish, then settling into a nice dark, leathery chocolate earthiness.
While I didnā€™t pair it with anything except crackers – because Iā€™m a curmudgeon today- it was a juicy, rich blend to take the chill off a cold day in January.

Price point was about $14.99

The upside lately – Iā€™ve noticed that the days are gradually getting longer. Which is a wonderful sign. Weā€™re headed in the right direction!

And you know what? I refuse to give in to the darkness. Better days are ahead. Even us curmudgeons have our moments of hope.

Cheers!

Copyright, TheWine Student, 2021

What I Did This Summer

Sometimes we save for a special occasion. Weā€™d saved up for a while, and in June, we were able to travel to France , and tour the beautiful village of Saint-Emilion, nestled in wine country, 35 km from Bordeaux. The primary grape varieties grown in this region are Cabernet Franc, and … Merlot. Uh oh. Being a Pinot Noir fan (and the movie ā€˜Sidewaysā€™ didnā€™t help) HubbyDoug had sworn that heā€™d never drink any *#@$ Merlot. But he did. And he liked it. More on that in a bit.

But first, some fun facts about Saint-Emilion.

  • Named after the reclusive Benedictine monk who relocated there in the 8th Century and lived in a cave.
  • Known for performing miracles, Emilion amassed many followers and made the town a great religious center
  • Home to one of the great subterranean monolithic churches in the world, Saint-Emilion Monolithic Church was carved into a rocky hillside to honour that along with 200 kms of underground galleries
  • Built on limestone, Saint-Emilion still has edicts in place that only small trucks can enter/ exit due to the vast number of underground tunnels.
  • Romans planted vineyards in what became Saint-Emilion as early as the 2nd century
  • One of the main red wine areas of Bordeaux
  • Wine profile: Varietals: Merlot, Cab Franc, some Cab Sauv
  • Soil: limestone, sand, clay

Click the video below to join me in Saint-Emilion!

 

With a population just over of 2,000, Saint-Emilion seems almost preserved in time. Itā€™s weird to see cars (and if you do, theyā€™re extremely small). But a more quaint town you be hard pressed to find. It’s such a beautiful place. Navigating some of the streets, however, youā€™d better have goat-like stability, especially in the rain. And to sample wine and other treats, you needed to plan your route. To get to the town center, you had to walk down a cobblestone avenue that had a railing running the entire length. While it was helpful, you really needed a human chain to get everyone there safely. Running shoes were not helpful ~ you needed mountain climbersā€™ spikes, and good hip flexibility. You wanna wear dressy heels on this wine tour? Leave them on the bus, this isnā€™t that kind of party.

Visiting the monolithic church is a little like your own private DaVinci Code. You can only get inside by booking through the tourism office. If you just show up, you wonā€™t get in. Only designated tour guides have a key. Once you enter the church and catacombs with your guide, the heavy wooden door is locked behind you. No one enters. No one leaves. That was a feature that made some of our tour mates a little antsy. But it was such a cool place, and the tour was really interesting that the time went by very quickly.

My friend Shelly and I soon went on to explore the rest of the town. HubbyDoug explored some wine. He chose two: 2016 Chateau Martet Reserve de Famille (the Merlot!) and a 2016 Les Hautes de la GaffeliĆØre. Knowing that we would probably never be back (although I can always hope maybe one day…) we bought a couple of bottles to ship home.

The next stop on our journey was Chateau Franc Mayne. Located only about a kilometer from the little village, itā€™s guarded by a beautiful stone cross that overlooks seven hectares of lush vines. It is a Grande Cru Classe (exceptional) winery and they take great pride in working to be sustainable and environmentally conscious.

After visiting the vats ( concrete, steel and oak) and vineyard, we made our way to the underground galleries where most of the barrels were kept. Much like the underground networks under Saint-Emilion, these galleries seemed to stretch on to infinity.

It was wonderful to save for a summer adventure away from home. I feel so grateful to have had an opportunity to explore a new wine region, and to experience such a beautiful place with so much history.

Sante! šŸ’‹šŸ·

Ā©ļøCopyright. TheWineStudent, 2019

O Tannin Bomb

At dinner with friends the other night, the subject of tannic wine came up. ā€œTantric wine?ā€ I asked, ā€œThat sounds like fun!ā€ I thought it meant weā€™d just take a really, really, really long time to enjoy a bottle of red. Iā€™ve been to tastings, seminars and parties where one will take a sip and proclaim that the wine is very tannic. But what does that even mean?

The term tannin comes from the long time practice of using plant extracts to ā€˜cureā€™ leather. In winemaking, tannins are compounds that bind to proteins ~ proteins that exist both in other chemical components ofĀ  wine as well as the salivary proteins within the mouth. This is a very basic description of a very complex process but you get the idea. This complexity is also what makes studying tannin quite difficult as these bonds break and reform several times before the nectar ever comes close to hitting your belly.

You can liken wine tannin to steeping tea ~ look at 4 cups of tea in various stages of brew. The first one is after a few moments, the next after 3 minutes, next after 5 and after 8-10. Youā€™ll notice significant differences in how the tea looks (light to tar-like) and tastes (weak to very strong). A wine high in tannin will look darker and taste stronger.

There are two classes of tannins: one coming from the oak barrels the wine is aged in and grape-derived.

Green and Mean ~

In nature, tannins serve as a kind of defense for the plant. It gives plants an unpleasant taste, discouraging animals from consuming them, allowing them to grow to maturity. Grapes begin tiny andĀ  green in order to match the new stems and are extremely bitter ~ it also keeps the birds from dining too soon. These berries are where the developing seeds are housed, undisturbed until they go to college, hit a few keg parties and then graduate to become adult grapes. When birds consume the mature grapes, they eventually deposit the digested seeds and re-propagation of grapes begins anew. Unless of course the deposits end up on your car.Ā Since the seeds also contribute a great deal of tannin to red wine, they can have a very nasty effect if they are unripe.

Ā Bitter is the New…Bitter ~

Here we can pull out our trusty mouthfeel wheel. Tannins contribute to both astringency and bitterness; with bitterness being sensed by taste bud receptors located on the very back of the tongue and soft palate.

Rather than being able to smell tannins, itā€™s more of how it feels on your tongue. Astringency is the feeling because the tannins bind with proteins in saliva, thereby increasing the friction between the mouth surfaces leading to a sensation of dryness or roughness. On the wheel, you might see words like furry, cottony or wooly ~ thatā€™s what astringent ā€˜feelsā€™ like.

Style meets Substance ~

Light ~ lighter in color and on the palate , thin consistency. Good examples: Gamay, Beaujolais Nouveau

Medium ~ a little more tannin, is richer on the palate and is Ā not as beefy. Ā Good examples: Merlot, Pinot Noir, Shiraz

Full ~ Ā  has the highest tannin content, more pucker on the palate, Ā creamy consistency with usually a higher alcohol content. Good example: Cabernet Sauvignon

With high tannic wines, what you see will generally be what you get. Youā€™ll find wines rich in color; deep ruby or claret, purple and maroon.

For many who enjoy wine, tannin really isnā€™t an issue unless it adversely affects the taste. Choosing wines that have high or low tannin depends entirely on your preference. Just make sure you take a really, really long time to enjoy them.

Cheers!

Cool Yule

Tonight, I’m off to visit friends for a Christmas dinner party and I wasn’t sure what wine to bring. I don’t really know what’s on the menu, and I didn’t know how to ask without sounding wrong somehow.
I want to bring something nice and friendly; not too sweet but not too bombastic, either. Since I’m still learning, and haven’t accrued the knowledge yet to blindly pick a winner, I’ve narrowed it down to two: an 09 Santa Cristina Sangiovese and an 08 Cloudline Pinot Noir. This Sangiovese is blended with 10% Merlot and 5% Cab Sauv, and that’s interesting to me, but the Cloudline boasts that it is “rich, charming and harmonious.” Who wouldn’t want to take that to a dinner party?
I dunno. I’ve been puzzling and puzzling…and now my puzzler is tired.
Oh what the hell, I’ll bring them both. And I’ll let you know how they were.
Cheers!