The Interesting Facets of Tempranillo

I’m a big fan of wines that aren’t Bordeaux. Don’t get me wrong. Oh, do I love the rich flavors of a good Cabernet or Merlot. Although, there is just something so mysterious about wines that aren’t like anything else. So many times I just want to step out of the box and try something a little different and mysterious for a change.

One of my favorite regions for wines with an interesting set of flavors is Spain. And, one of my favorite wines from that region is Tempranillo. Named from the diminutive Spanish word “Temperanillo” which means early, the grapes are some of the first harvested in the warm Spanish growing season. Often times Tempranillo is harvested weeks before any of the other varieties.

This grape, used to make Rioja, is considered to be the noble grape of Spain. It was used up until just a few decades ago to produce mostly jug wines. Over the past few years it has become more and more popular as a blend or single variety high end specialty wine. Tempranillo has gained quite a following in the last few years, and now it is becoming a popular grape even here in the Western U.S..

What I like about Tempranillo is it’s rich and spicy flavors of berries, plum, leather, and fresh tobacco as a general set of characteristics. It is low in acidity and sugar making it great for those who don’t like acidic wines. Other flavors such as vanilla can be easily infused through the oak of good barrel aging.

In my very difficult research for this article I decided to talk about two different methods for Tempranillo out of the same winemaker. I received two bottles from Matchbook wines out of Dunnigan Hills. I chose a bottle of mostly Tempranillo blend, and another bottle that was a Tempranillo Rose’.

The Matchbook 2009 Tempranillo is 90% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine offers rich flavors of black berries, cinnamon, clove, cocoa, and vanilla. It is dark in color and has just enough umph to hold up to a pesto or tapas.

The 2011 Rose’ of Tempranillo. Unlike the blend I just talked about, this wine was bled from the skins right at crush before the colors would darken. It was then cold fermented in stainless steel for 3 months rather than barrel aged for up to 18 months in oak barrels. The result is a much more delicate wine with a nose of cream soda, with flavors of watermelon and peaches. With a residual sugar of under .5% this fairly dry wine has most of its flavor from the fruit and malolactic fermentation.

These versions of Tempranillo are very soft and delicate. I’ve also had many from the northwest that were much more full bodied. The results are always an overall spiciness with great food pairing abillites.

The next time you’re a little weary of the same old merlot I hope you’ll give Tempranillo a try. There are several offerings on most grocery shelves, and many of our local wine shops have even more choices.

Enjoy!

Castillo de Feliciana Is A Trip To Spain In Walla Walla

This week I met my friend Rich Funk at Saviah and talked about some amazing plans that he has to share later this spring. I picked up some of his newest releases, and then, rather than heading straight home decided to take a different fork in the road.

Past Waters Winery and VaPiano, and after taking a right at the fork, I came to Castillo de Feliciana Vineyard and Winery. A cute little Spanish hacienda, located down a short gravel drive with views of the Blue Mountains, Seven Hills Vineyards, and most of the Walla Walla valley.

As I entered the winery I was met by the youthful and entrancingly blue eyed tasting room manager Katie Regnier. It was cold outside, but her excitement to open a few bottles for me, and the great wines had me thinking of warmer climates.

Castillo de Feliciana is one of Walla Walla’s newest wineries. Owned by Sam and Deborah Castillo, the winery is located on a 66 acre estate that is surrounded by fantastic vineyards of world renown. The tasting room itself offers a nice Spanish theme, with beautiful art that Deborah herself has hand-picked.

The Castillos opened their winery with the hopes of offering fine wines in the Spanish varietals. This being the northwest, there has been some issues with reaching those offerings, but the Sueno (dream) will become a reality with time and patience. They planted true Spanish Albarino vines this past year, and at this point they are looking good in the ground.

I caught Katie on a quiet day, where we could talk and taste through the wines. I highly recommend that you take the opportunity to visit wineries during this time of year when the tourist season is off. It is so much fun, and you feel like you own the whole region.

Anyway, Katie poured the 2008 Viognier for me to start. Mixed with 19% Roussanne, the wine has wonderful floral aromatics to start. Melon and baked bread open up to a nice mouthful of peach and other stone fruit, with a lightly acidic finish. I picked this one up to share with my wife before bed.

Katie then poured me the flagship 2008 Temperanillo. This wine is made from 100% Rosebud Vineyard Temperanillo grapes. The wine opens on the nose with a bouquet of violets and desert sage. The flavors are deep and rich, with red currants, and espresso. The finish is long, with soft acidity and supple tannins.

Next I tasted the 2008 Miercoles. This wine is made up of 55% Syrah, 27% Malbec, 9% Temperanillo, and 9% Merlot, with the juice being sourced from Pepper Bridge, Rosebud, Airport Ranch, and Les Collines. The flavors and nose are black cherry, plum, coffee, and cocoa. There are further layers of baking spices on the long finish.

Last, Katie poured me the 2008 Adentro. This wine is a Bordeaux blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Malbec, and 5% Cab Franc. It offers up a nose and flavors of herbs and spices on the front, with vanilla, tea, and tobacco on the mid palate. The wine finishes very nice with a distinct minerality from the perfectly blended Cab Franc. Very nice.

I hope you’ll take the time to venture to the southern reaches of Walla Walla. When you do, I suggest you stop in and taste the Spanish influence offered by Castillo de Feliciana.

Enjoy!

Matchbook Ready To Set Fire To The Wine Scene

“As a farm kid growing up in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, John Giguiere was a confirmed pyromaniac starting various things on fire such as his father’s wheat fields. He and his brother graduated to launching rockets which often blew up at some stage of the journey resulting in more random fires and calls to the local fire department for help.”

This paragraph stuck out to me as I read the attached letter from a recent box left on my doorstep by the UPS guy. My friend Katie from Calhoun Wine Company had once again sent me another interesting label to try.

Matchbook wines is a new winery located in the Dunnigan Hills of California just east of Napa County. John and Lane Giguiere, founders of the R.H. Phillips Winery back in 1983 had grown the empire into basically what it is today. A force to be reckoned with in the world of wine. R.H. Phillips, who’s labels include Toasted Head, are part of the family that locally includes Hogue Wines in Prosser.

In 2005 the Giguiere brothers left R.H. Phillips in 2005 with the idea of pursuing a new winery that took them back to their childhood. They wanted to get back to their roots of growing and making wine that they could have their hands on.

The first bottle I tried was the 2008 Old Head Chardonnay. The grapes are sourced mostly from the Dunnigan Hills Matchbook Vineyard. An additional 7% of the juice comes from Russion River Valley, and the balance is 3% Paso Robles Viognier. Basically, this being said, the wine from the estate vineyard is mostly fermented in used oak barrels, with the balance of the wine from other vineyards being fermented in stainless steel.

I found the wine to be very favorable indeed. The wine is dry, however the fruit flavors of melon, apple, and white peach show through and add sweetness. There is a little malolactic flavor of honey and cream, with a wonderful mineral finish. I served this with roasted chicken salad on a bed of romaine, and topped with a fresh blueberry balsamic vinaigrette. The wine balanced perfectly between the flavors of the chicken and the balsamic.

After dinner I opened the bottle of 2007 Tempranillo. As I have shared before, I have become quite the affectionado of Spanish varietals over the past few years. With so many being imported to our region at really good prices, combined with the new growth of Tempranillo in this region, I have to admit I opened this bottle with a little trepidation.

The 2007 Tempranillo is actually 88% Tempranillo, with 8% Graciano, and a balance of 4% Petite Syrah. Frankly, I was impressed with the low acidity of the wine. Most of the Tempranillos I have tasted this year were way too acidic to enjoy more than a small glass. This wine offers some acidity and spiciness, mixed with layers of dark cherries, and berry basket. The finish is full of blueberries. I would gladly serve this with lamb shanks, roasted pork, or possibly with a spicy seafood stew such as cioppino.

There is a possibility that these wines will be distributed in the near future in this region. If you see them on the shelf, I highly recommend you buy and try them.

Eggs, Ham, or Lamb… A Few Wine Pairings For Easter

Did you know that Easter is one of the biggest wine days of the year, just behind Christmas, and Thanksgiving? It is. But, unlike those other two holidays, people tend to eat food that is a little more exotic on Easter. Blame this on the melding of various cultures, and both religious and secular traditions. Yes…we all know…it’s the Easter Bunny’s fault!

If your family is like mine, you’ll probably start the day with a little Easter egg hunt. Some people use plastic eggs out of food safety. But, we’ve raised our kids to be accustomed to food poisoning, so we use the real ones from real chickens.

While the kids are out running around the yard with their baskets, fix yourself a nice mimosa. I love to use Ballatore Rosso, or Domaine St. Michelle’s Blanc de Noir in my mimosas. Mix the sparkler liberally with fresh orange juice for a wonderful treat.

After a few rounds of hiding and finding, we bring the eggs in and serve them with brunch. Deviling eggs for me means a little ground onion, mustard, mayo, sweet relish, paprika, pepper, and a dash of jalepeno juice. This combination of ingredients leads to a nice Sauvignon Blanc. I suggest Terra Blanca Sauvignon Blanc. It is filled with wonderful citrusy flavors that clear the palate and prepare you for another bite.

Along with deviled eggs, we are also big into ham at our house. There are two varietals that really pair with ham without much thought: Pinot Noir or a zesty Zinfandel. Our ham gets glazed with honey and orange zest, so I always reach for a really great bottle of Pinot Noir. Eyrie, Domaine Drouhin, or Sineann all make exquisite Pinots from Oregon grapes. I’m also partial to Whitehaven Pinot Noir from New Zealand. The Whitehaven fills your senses with the feeling that you are walking in a redwood forest. (This has been corrected from my post in the EO - I suggested McWilliams in the article, which is an Australian wine that is also good, but not nearly as satisfying.)

If you serve your ham dry smoked, or grilled, I strongly suggest using a Zinfandel. Bogle makes an Old Vines Zinfandel that you can pick up in local grocery stores. It is rich with fruit and spices, and finishes just a little sweet.

The local choice for a Zinfandel is Maryhill. Maryhill Winery, located just across the river from Biggs makes probably the best Zinfandel from the Northwest. This wine pairs extremely well with ribs, ham, or just about anything off the barbecue. You can get Maryhill wines at any of the local wine shops, and many convenience stores as well because it is such a local favorite.

Many people eat lamb for Easter. I’m partial to a nice rack of lamb, rubbed in olive oil, garlic, and dried herbs, and then grilled. Once again, go for the Maryhill Zinfandel on this one. If you have time to get out to one of the local wine shops I also suggest grabbing a Temperanillo or a Carmenere. These dark, rich, and spicy Spanish varietals are wonderfully paired with the flavors of the meat.

Oh, and not to forget, if you are into spending Easter sitting on the couch eating the head off of a chocolate bunny, I suggest a nice Cabernet Sauvignon. Dark chocolate bunny head goes really well with a nice glass of Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon.

Enjoy and have a great Easter!