Etikettarkiv: Cabernet Sauvignon

French red wines, Uncategorized

Grand Cab-Syrah from Provence

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The south of France has a very good climate for producing fantastic red wines, although it is often most known for the rosé wines that many people try while traveling through the area. From the producer Château La Martinette in Lorgues, with a fantastic view of forests, olive groves and a hilly landscape close to the French Riviera, we have tasted La Grande Pièce AOP Côtes de Provence 2018.

The Estate grows organic Côtes de Provence from Grenache, Syrah, Cinsaut, Rolle, Clairette, Mourvèdre, Cabernet Sauvignon and the rare local grape variety Tibouren. La Grande Pièce 2018 is a cuvé of the black grape varieties Syrah (common in Northern Rhône) and Cabernet Sauvignon (common in Bordeaux). The alcohol level is 14 per cent.

There are fantastic notes of blackberry, black plums, olives, licorice, pepper, cloves and chocolate. The tannins are definitely there, but soft and smooth on the palate. This wine is very pleasant to serve with any kind of meat, especially grilled or baked in the oven. Also grilled cheese and vegetables are a very good match -try also with creamy spicy sauces. This is a very well-balanced wine with complex notes and a long tasty finish. I give it 95 points!

Californian red wines

Organic Californian Cab good with grilled meat

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Wow, today was one of those days when we here in Sweden actually start believing in the Summer for real 🙂 And Summer time in Sweden absolutely means Grill time…

I would say that no matter WHAT you want to grill, meat or vegetarian, the special ’grill taste’ would go very well with this organic Californian Barra of Mendocino 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon! I give it 86 points on my tasting scale!

California has vineyards throughout most of its length, and the Mendocino County is situated north of Sonoma and Napa. The most widely planted black grape variety in California is the Cabernet Sauvignon. As a friend said recently – these wines really reflect some of the Californian sun 🙂 Charlie Barra decided, after having sold his wine to other wineries, to start his own wine production in 1997. Mr Barra truly believes in ecological wine making, without conventional chemicals.

This wine is made from 75 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 18 % Zinfandel and 7 % Petite Sirah. It can be bought at Systembolaget in Sweden for the price of 121 SEK (nr 22346).

On the nose you find the very typical Cab notes of dark cherries and blackcurrants and some herbaceousness. The wine has been aged in both French and American oak which you can sense (both toast, chocolate and vanilla).

On the palate you sense a wine with a balanced asperity with dark blackcurrants and dark chocolate as well as cedar and herbs. It has quite a long finish with distinct tannins.

This wine is best served with grilled dishes, as well as other tasteful dishes of red meat or lamb and game. Spicy sauces with creamy base will be great as well, and many creamy cheeses 🙂

Barra

Italian red wines

Interesting Cab cuvée from Sicily

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Cabernet Sauvignon is one of those grape varieties to be found almost everywhere, and it often divides people into ’lovers’ or ’haters’… I myself quite like this grape variety which gives deeply coloured wines, with lots of tannins and strong aromatic aromas. The most typical wine is of course the Bordeaux blend with the Merlot grape.

But this time I will write about a blend with the Sicilian grape variety Nero d’Avola, and the Raccolto is an ecological wine. Sicily is the largest of Italy’s regions, and has the largest area under vines. Most wines are IGT wines – Indicazione Geografica Tipica – but many producers create reliable and affordable wines.

This is also the case for the Raccolto 2013, which I give 84 points. This wine is made of 60 % Nero d’Avola and 40 % Cabernet Sauvignon. The alcohol level is 14 %.

It has a dark ruby colour. On the nose it has as excepted aromatic fruity notes of blackcurrant and cherries, as well as hints of liquorice and some vanilla from oak ageing.

On the palate you will find quite a complex blend of blackberries and black cherries – but also violet and liquorice. There is also a hit of herbaceousness. This wine is full-bodied, with quite high levels of tannins that are slightly bitter. However, the total impression is that this is a wine that goes well with many dishes – like red and white meat dishes, as well as pasta (of course), lamb and game.

You can find the Raccolto in Sweden at Systembolaget’s normal assortment (nr 32452) for the price of 94 SEK.

Raccolto