A Flowery Song

Background: Aged on French oak for eight months.

Nose: Cherries and strawberries, earthy hints of mushroom.

Taste: Light red fruit, light hints of oak. Grapefruit pith on the finish.

Overall: Not great. The most disappointing wine I’ve had from St. Julian, particularly a disappointment since the Braganini Reserve are supposed to be their showcase wines. It’s light and drinkable, but lacks the spicy richness of a great Pinot Noir.

The mission: “[F]ind something reputed to be Fine Kosher Wine”

I actually studied up on kosher wines about a year ago, but didn’t write up what I learned at the time.

First things first: what makes a wine kosher? Well, kosher wine will carry a hechsher from an authority certifying that it was produced in accord with kashrus, which is the portion of halakha (Jewish religious law) dealing with dietary concerns. This mark indicates that any additives (such as fining agents) were kosher, production was supervised by the appropriate overseers (called mashgichim), and the wine is either mevushal or every step of the production was done by an observant Jew. This all has to do with the historic use of wine in idolatrous religious practises and the strict prohibition in the Torah of the use of such wine (yayin nesach), as well as a Rabbinical injunction against the use of unsupervised wine (stam yaynom).

Mevushal means “cooked” or “boiled”. Once a wine is mevushal it can be handled by non-Jews without losing its kosher status. Wine can be rendered mevushal at any stage after the press, but in the US most mevushal wine is heated prior to fermentation. Mevushal can broadly be taken as synonymous with pasteurised and follows the same procedure; thus, in modern production flash pasteurisation is seen as a way to reduce or eliminate the deleterious effects of heating the wine. While it definitely will help stability from a microbial standpoint, opinions are divided: some claim that flash heating has a positive effect on the wine’s character, while others claim that it reduces the aging potential and gives the wine a cooked fruit character.

There’s actually another level to kosher certification, which has to do with Passover. At Passover kashrut becomes even more restrictive, so a wine can be kosher for other times but not for Passover. If a wine just says “kosher”, it’s not suitable for use during Pesach; it must specifically say “kosher for Passover”.
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Background: Another wine from St. Julian that I considered doing for WBW, this Syrah was aged for 12 months on French oak and weighs in at 12% ABV.

Nose: Raspberries and peppercorns right up front, with some oaky vanilla and blueberry jumping in.

Taste: Rich berry fruitiness, soft rounded tannins, and a light tartness. More peppercorns and some toasted oak in the finish.

Overall: Very nice indeed. Elegant balance and deep, layered flavours.

Background: Part of The Australian Premium Wine Collection, this varietal red wine comes from the McLaren Vale in South Australia. The name (which comes from Irish mythology and would more properly be 'Tír na nÓg') means 'Land of Youth'.

Appearance: Deep inky purple. Green glass with a composite cork.

Nose: Ripe, fruity blackberries.

Taste: Rich currant and blackberry, silky tannins, a hint of cocoa in the finish.

Overall: Indulgently decadent and an extremely well-structured wine. Just reaching its peak now; will probably decline if cellared for much longer.

This month's round of WBW is hosted by Spittoon, and while the wine selection is broad (any Italian red), the review format is quite restrictive. Nothing special for the objective data such as the name of the wine and the producer, but the subjective part must be just seven words long and fairly grammatical. Seven words to fit in colour, nose, mouthfeel, taste, and pairing info. Easy, right?

The wine: Badia a Coltibuono Sangioveto di Toscana 2000. 13.5% ABV single varietal wine matured in oak for a year.

Ahem.

Inky leather-scented silk. Spiced nuttiness demands Puttanesca.

Background: The other half of my first St. Julian shipment, this dry red wine is a blend of 62% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 12% Cabernet Franc. Aged in French and American oak for 14 months.

Presentation: Small, austere tan label on a green bottle. Pours a clear, deep burgundy. 12% ABV

Nose: Rich, red fruit. Ripe raspberries, blackberries, and plum with some oak spiciness and a hint of black earthiness.

Taste: Fruity like the nose, with blackcurrant and vanilla. Lots of oak and tight tannins in the background. Silky mouthfeel with the barest hint of astringency.

Overall: Drinkable now, but still slightly closed and has a fair bit of aging potential. Robust red wine that pairs well with hearty meat dishes.

Background: Inexpensive blended red wine from Hungary; I don't know the exact composition, but by law it must be at least 40% Kadarka and/or Blaufränkisch.

Presentation: Green bottle, cheap-looking black label. Pours an opaque dark brownish purple. 12.5% ABV.

Nose: Red fruit, mainly cherry. A hint of oxidation perhaps?

Taste: Definitely oxidized. Thin and sharp tasting.

Overall: Ick. I've heard that Egri Bikavér varies by producer, but this is the only one that I've tried and I'm not impressed. At the price, I have no problem in pouring this down the drain.

On another forum, in a universe far far away…someone asked why they didn't like alcoholic drinks, and could we suggest some that they might enjoy. There was a slight ambiguity in the post, and several people misread it as stating that one of the drinks that was disliked was “red wine and coke”. After many people declared vehemently that this was an abomination in the sight of all right-thinking sapients, I volunteered, in the spirit of scientific inquiry, to have a go at it.

The wine – Chateau Chantal Naughty Red. An inoffensive, inexpensive dry red table wine.
The mixer – Coca-Cola Classic

1:1 – That is foul. Sickly-sweet, with an overtone of decay. The cola taste comes through quite clearly, though.
2:1 – Better. Good balance between the bases. No harmonising of the flavours, though. A madman's version of a wine cooler.
3:1 – The Coke's not really adding anything beyond sweetness at this point.

1:2 – The mixer overpowers the wine; all that the wine contributes is a slight earthiness.

Verdict – All but one ratio was deemed drinkable, but there was a profound lack of enthusiasm about any of them. I suppose if you hate wine you could do this, but in that case why would you want to?

Background: Dry red table wine from Traverse City, Michigan. Blend of Gamay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and “Red Blend”. No oak.

Presentation: Green bottle, beautiful wrap-around paper label. Pours a clear brownish red.

Nose: Cherries and fresh green apples.

Taste: No tannins, fruity, with a light acidic tang. Short finish has a mildly earthy background.

Overall: Inoffensive, easy drinking. I get the feeling that it's trying to appeal to people that don't like red wine.

Background: Founded in 1970, Marqués de Cáceres specialises in modern style Rioja wines. This Spanish red wine is made from 85% Tempranillo grapes, with the rest being Graciano and Garnacha Tinta. Aged for twelve months in French and American oak casks prior to bottling.

Presentation: Green bottle, conservative label styling. Pours a dark ruby. 13% ABV

Nose: Fruity. Raspberry and strawberry.

Taste: Fruit-forward, with an earthy background and hints of oak. Medium, slightly tannic finish shows slightly nutty influences.

Overall: Good table wine; well balanced, bold, and direct; pairs well with spicy foods. As part of this tasting, I had it with some Rosenborg Danish Blue cheese, which complemented it nicely.