Cabernet Sauvignon

This Wine is “Fergalicious”!

I’m having a “ME” night tonight. The hubby is off working and I’m on my own with a good book and a hopefully good bottle of wine. So I went into our cellar and pulled out a bottle of 2011 Ferguson Crest “Fergalicious”, knowing only that it’s a blend of 56% Syrah, 25% Merlot, 13% Grenache and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. I’m a huge lover of Syrah (in case you didn’t already know that) and the price wasn’t outrageous (I feel guilty opening an expensive bottle with my husband off working), so I grabbed this bottle thinking that it was the perfect wine for the night.

I popped and poured it without decanting … and actually really liked it right off the bat! I’m used to Syrah from the Rhone Valley, which this is NOT! Well, of course it’s not! This is only 56% Syrah, and it’s from the Santa Ynez region of California’s Central Coast AVA. The “Fergalious” is an interesting blend of Rhone varietals with Bordeaux varietals. It’s a lush, full-bodied wine with lots of dark fruit, violets and some spice on the nose. On the palate are the ripe dark fruit, mocha, olives and sweet tannins.

Holy crap! After reading up a bit on this wine, I realized that it’s a family-owned boutique winery established by Pat Ferguson (whose passion for years has been growing many different types of fruits) and his daughter Stacy Duhmel. In case you don’t know, that’s THE Fergie! Yes, THAT Fergie, the vocalist from Black Eyed Peas. I had no idea that she has a wine!!!!

I want to try to find a few more of these, hold on to them, and see how they taste after a few years in the bottle. I can’t help but think that they’ll get even better than they already are. I also look forward to trying some of Ferguson Crest’s other wines!

Meanwhile, I’ll be sure to save the other half of this bottle for my husband to try tomorrow night! It’s right up his alley, AND he thinks that Fergie is hot!

If you want to learn more about Ferguson Crest, check out their website here:  http://www.fergusoncrest.com

Some of the Lovely Wines & People of Bordeaux!

Oh how I love France.  I’ve been a Francophile since I can remember, and it only increased after catching the wine bug.  I’m blessed to have traveled to France many times exploring many of their wine regions, but I have yet to go to Bordeaux.  Well this past week, Bordeaux came to me!

More than 30 chateaux from Bordeaux stopped in Orlando during their “North American Tour”.  This night’s tasting was sponsored by ABC Fine Wine and Spirits.  Representing these chateaux were owners, winemakers, marketing reps and some distributors.  None of the First Growths were there for tasting, but many of the other Growths, as well as some lovely Cru Bourgeois and fabulous wines from the Right Bank!

Almost all of the wines being poured were from the 2012 vintage.  Here are some of my favorites of the evening:

 2012 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron (2nd Growth from Pauillac) – Winemaker Jean-René Matignon was pouring his lovely 2012, which is comprised of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot.  On the nose are tobacco, forest floor, blackberry and black cherry.  The palate has the dark fruit, cassis and vanilla.  The finish seems to go on and on and on.

2012 Château Lynch-Bages (5th Growth from Pauillac) – This needs time, but oh it will be worth the wait.  Made from 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, some earth and licorice come through on the nose.  The palate is rich and yet fresh, with dark fruit and a touch of baking spices. 

2012 Château Clinet – From Pomerol on the Right Bank, this wine is a blend of 90% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Cabernet Franc.  With aromas of cherry, wet earth and licorice, the palate explodes with black cherry and blackberry.  There is a hint of chocolate on the finish as well.

2012 Château Gazin– Again from Pomerol and considered one of the great wines of Bordeaux.  Christophe de Bailliencourt, the delightful Co-Owner and Co-Manager of Château Gazin, was pouring their lovely wine.  Gazin is located in the eastern part of the Pomerol plateau.  The 26-hectare vineyard adjoins the vineyards of L’Evangile and Petrus.  On the nose are cassis, blackberry and smoke.  Chocolate covered black cherry and the cassis and blackberry come through on the palate, leaving a long and lush finish.

Truthfully, there wasn’t a dud at this tasting.  I wish I had room to write about them all.  Perhaps I’ll do that as they have more time in the bottle.

Meanwhile if this tasting comes anywhere near you and you’re a lover of the wines of Bordeaux, don’t miss it.  For me it was a night that won’t be forgotten.  I have a feeling that my next adventure in France will include a visit to Bordeaux!

My October Wine of the Month

Sleight of Hand Cellars 

2008 The Illusionist Cabernet Sauvignon

Columbia Valley

I’ve visited Washington several times now. It’s a beautiful part of our country, with some wonderful wines being made in several different locations. One of these areas is Walla Walla, a delightful town surrounded by the beautiful Blue Mountains.  There are a lot of great wineries and vineyards located here in this well-respected region. One winery that is hard to forget is Sleight of Hand.

The Wine – Ruby red in color, this aromatic wine has black currant, licorice, fig and a touch of roasted meat on the nose. On the palate are the black currant, black raspberry and a smooth velvety finish. This well-balanced Cab is blended with 8% Syrah and saw 60% new oak, but you’d never know it. This wine is singing right now and I wish that I has a case left in my cellar!

My Experience Visiting the Winery – My husband and I had no expectations upon arriving at Sleight of Hand for a tasting. My stepson is a magician, so we were intrigued by the name.  Little did we know we were walking into a REALLY fun experience. As soon as we entered the tasting room the co-owner and winemaker, Trey, greeted us with a question: “What do you want to hear?”  I was a little confused until I saw the row of albums he had lining the back wall. I suggested Bryan Ferry, and by gosh if he didn’t have some Roxy Music!  So he put on the album, (yes, VINYL!!!) and we started tasting.

The Journey – Sleight of Hand Cellars is located in a beautiful area of Walla Walla with open areas of vineyards and beautiful views. I can’t help but think that it may be similar to Napa Valley many, many years ago. Their original tasting room had been in the quaint downtown area of the city, but had just moved into the beautiful current location when we visited in 2011.

If you’re looking for some “magical” wines, check out Sleight of Hand Cellars in Walla Walla! We fell in love with many of them, and they all have magic themed names!!!

Visit their website at: www.sofhcellars.com

 

 

Macauley Vineyard Winery

Originally established by Ann Macauley Watson in the early 1980s, Macauley Vineyard Winery went through a short hiatus after her death in 1994.  Always knowing deep down that the winery business was for him, her son, Mac Watson, spent some time at Rudd Oakville Estate and decided to re-establish the Macauley label in 2000.  Along with his wife, Amy Baxter Watson, and his childhood friend Kirk Venge, son of legendary Napa Valley winemaker Nils Venge and now full owner of his family’s Venge Vineyards, Watson is producing some fabulous wines.

A couple of nights ago my husband and I cracked open a 2007 Macauley Cabernet Sauvignon.  We decanted it for about an hour before pouring our first glass.  Oh wow, what a lovely Napa Cab.

The ’07 is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and is sourced from three renowned Napa Valley vineyards, Star (in the Rutherford AVA), Stagecoach (from the Atlas Peak AVA), and Beckstoffer To Kalon.

On the nose are dark fruits and black licorice.  On the palate are dark cherry, cassis, and some chocolate.  This wine has very nice structure and is beautifully balanced, a sure sign of a winner.  Oh … have I mentioned the finish????  Oh my.  The finish is full of sweet, velvety tannins and goes on and on and on.

If you run across any Macauley wines on a restaurant wine list or in a wine store, don’t be afraid to buy!  I know that I’ll definitely be seeking out more Macauley wines.

Mac Watson, along with “a little help from his friends”, is honoring his mother’s memory in a very lovely way.

Opus One’s Second Wine – Overture

Top wineries and chateaux blend together their best grapes’ juice to produce their best possible wine for the Grand Cru or “first wines”.  What do they do with the remaining juice???  Many of them make a second wine. Usually made by the same winemaker in pretty much the same way as the winery’s famous wine, the big difference is that the juice for the second wine is often from younger vines or the second press. Although these wines may not be as complex, balanced and sublime, they ARE a lot less expensive!  It’s a great way to try big name Bordeaux or other famous wines without the big time price tag.

Opus One is a winery in Napa that produces a second wine.  Founded as a joint venture between Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Chateau Mouton Rothschild and renowned Napa vintner Robert Mondavi, Opus One’s goal was to create a Bordeaux style blend based on Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  The other four Bordeaux varietals (Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec) are also used.  They use grapes from some of the most well respected vineyards in Napa.  The winemaking, however, is modeled after the techniques of Bordeaux.  This happy marriage produces some of Napa’s finest wines.

While their signature wine is called Opus One, their second wine is appropriately (especially if you’re a music enthusiast) called Overture. Overture is only available at the winery or on their website.  We had a tasting at Opus One a couple of years ago, and had purchased a bottle then. We cracked it open the other night.

I decanted this wine for about an hour before pouring.  The color is a medium purple and has a wonderful aroma of chocolate-covered cherries.  On the palate are some nice dark fruit, specifically black cherry and currant, as well as some tobacco.  It is well balanced with some earthiness and a hint of baking spices.

Yes, the vintage Opus One is a fabulous wine with a lot going on.  I wouldn’t mind having cases upon cases of it resting in my cellar.  With the going rate of about $235 a bottle, not many people can afford that.  Overture isn’t cheap, but at about $80 a bottle most of us are a lot more likely to be able to afford multiples.  If you’re someone who doesn’t feel comfortable with a price tag over a couple of hundred bucks, but you’d like to splurge a bit, Overture is a very nice option.

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