Category: Wine of The Day

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Loimer Brut Rose

Bubbles. Sparkling wine. Cremant. All are wines that when done right can be as enjoyable as the most well known wines from Champagne. And one of the best examples of bubbly rose hails from Austria’s Kamptal region and the charming wine village of Langelois.

The Loimer Brut Rose Reserve is a delightful concoction of Pinot Noir, St. Laurent, Zweigelt that is made in the “méthode traditionelle” of sparkling winemaking.  

With some toasty notes, aromas of cherry pie crust and wild cherries, plums and hazelnuts, the Loimer Brut Reserve is a delight all by itself or with yummy sushi.

That’s why the Loimer Brut Reserve is today’s WineSiders Wine of The Day. a

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2018 Hilmy The Temp

Texas wine have long been maligned, misunderstood and missed by many wine fans, but times are changing, and one that really turns heads is the latest Tempranillo wine from Hilmy, the 2018 “The Temp.”

Here’s a blend of Tempranillo, Barbera and Sangiovese that offers a nose of coco and black cherry fruit, that has been exquisitely made to be ready to go from the start, but has the backbone to age. 

Ripe red fruit, black spice, some taste of Texas dust, much like Rutherfod Dust, “The Temp” is a leading example of how great Texas wines are and is a perfect pairing with a charred rare Tomahawk steak, as it just starts out big and gets more elegant as the bottle gets drained.

That’s why, the 2018 Hilmy “The Temp” is today’s WineSiders Wine of The Day.

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2016 Domaine Saint Amant Beaumes-de-Venise Grangeneuve

The Domaine Saint Amant Beaumes-de-Venise Grangeneuve from the 2016 vintage. is a ripe and rich blend of Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, and Viogner that is really hitting stride. Produced in the tiny winery that sits atop one of the highest peaks in the Southern Rhone, the flagship wine from Camille Wallut, has gone from its’ younger and primary fruit forward flavor to a more complex and tightly integrated knitted wine.

While it still has that silky texture of red and black fruit, the more subtle aromas of lavender and lilac, along with richer plums, raspberries, black sweet cherries and some blueberries and white pepper are now showing in a multi-dimensional cornucopia off delights.

Still in a youthful state at almost age five, the vibrancy in the Saint Amant Grangeneuve shows the richness and depth that’s possible in red wines from Beaumes-de-Venise, one of the Rhone Valley’s smaller appellations, that is better known more for its sweet Muscat based white wine.

That’s why the 2016 Saint Amant Grangeneuve is today’s WineSiders Wine of The Day!!!

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2018 Azores Wine Company Tinto Vulcanico

Of late the exploration of wines from island vineyards has taken a turn to the Azores. Part of Portugal, the volcanic nature of the Azores (Acores) islands give the wines a unique and distinctive character.

One of the better producers found on the Azores is The Azores Wine Company and the 2018 Tinto Vulcanico is a wine to behold.

Made from a medley of grapes including Aragonês, Agronómica, Castelão,
Malvarisco, Merlot, Touriga Nacional,
Saborinho, Syrah and others, the Tinto Vulcanico is sheer delight in the glass with it’s ruby red color, vibrant bouquet and lingering finish of cherries, licorice and cloves.

That’s why the 2018 Azores Wine Company Tinto Vulcanico is today’s WineSiders Wine of the Day.

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2017 Concrete Mama Syrah

Rhone grapes are found in many places, but one of the emerging area of North America, Washington State, is rapidly showing that California is not the only place in the USA where Syrah is growing and being bottled really well. 

The 2017 Concrete Mama River Rocks Vineyard Syrah is both a very enjoyable and  complex red that gives off Northern Rhone like notes from the grapes grown in the area outside of Walla Walla, Washington in the Rocks District.

Ripe, bright, and silky, the usual blueberry, bacon fat and green olive flavors and bouquet are all there. This is a sensual wine, with layer upon layer of fruit, and while only 3 years old right now, the wine is showing incredible forward development. 

That’s why the 2017 Concrete Mama Syrah is today’s WineSiders Wine of the Day.

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2019 Bruma Ocho Blanc de Noir Carignan

A recent. trip to Baja California led to Bruma, a modern winery, making world class wines in the Valle de Guadalupe. 

The 2019 Bruma Ocho Blanc is made from all white Carignan, a rarity in the wine world, and yet, oh so delicious. 

Crisp and bright acidity, soft herbal fruit, with lemon and green melon flavors, light and citrusy, with a delicate creamy mouthfeel, this is a palate friendly white, with lots going for it, especially when paired with raw fish, sushi or ceviche.

That’s why the 2019 Bruma Ocho Blanc de Noire Carignan is today’s Winesiders Wine of The Day.

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2015 Martinelle Ventoux Rouge

The Ventoux is the region in the Rhone Valley that is on the verge of breaking out. As a regular visitor to the region some of the best winemakers in the region are hardly known outside there, and just like Camile at Saint Amant, Corinna Faravel at Martinelle is another of the rising stars who will become more widely known once the pandemic lets winemakers and buyers get together again.

Corinna did her apprenticeship in the Languedoc, at Domain d’Aupilhac, under the mentorship of Sylvain Fadat. Then in 2002 she landed her own vineyard and began producing wine. Now with vineyards in the Ventoux and Beaumes de Venice, the Martinelle wines are pure joy in the bottle.

The 2015 Martinelle Ventoux Rouge is mostly Grenache, with some Syrah, Mourvedre and Counoise in the blend. When young it was a big, brooding powerhouse, but like the charming person Corrina is, the wine has become charming as well. 

With flavors of black raspberry, ripe strawberry, blueberry and tar, the 2015 is now at that point where it’s really ready to drink and is showing the grace and elegance that the Ventoux can produce.

That’s why, the 2015 Martinelle Ventoux Rouge is today‘s Winesiders’ Wine of the Day!!!

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2018 l’Effet Papillon Rouge Cotes Catalanes

Marjorie and Stephane Gallet are the minds behind Roc des Anges, one of the Roussillion’s stars whose wines find their way to the best restaurant’s list across France as well as in the USA. 

Since 2016 I have also been a fan of their “bistro” brand, l’Effet Papillon whose wines are made in a local cooperative of growers and winemakers, with grapes they source from across the Maury region’s growers.

The 2018 L’Effet Papilion Rouge is once again a great example of their winemaking prowess. Dominated with Grenache, and a mix of old vine Syrah and Carignan, the deep, dark and brooding purple wine is no lightweight. What it may be is one of the best sub-$15.00 reds on the market these days, as the jammy strawberry, black plums, red cherry and brambly raspberry flavors are as enjoyable as they are long in the finish.

That’s why the 2018 L’Effet Papilion Rouge IGP Cotes Catalanes is today’s Winesiders’ Wine of the Day!!!

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2018 Domaine Jaume Generations

For many years I have been a fan of Domaine Jaume, the boutique producer near Vinosobres in the northern end of the Southern Rhone Valley. Not to be confused with the family of the same name behind Grand Veneur, the family Jaume makes exciting wines from old vines that fall into what I call “eating persons” wines.  

An eating person is one who savors great cooking, but doesn’t go to the “starred” restaurants, and finds satisfaction in the bouchons of Lyon, the wistubes of Alsace and the bistros and brasseries that are so common across France.

The 2018 Domaine Jaume “Generations” is exactly that kind of wine. A well-balanced blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, the Generations has been a staple for me since the 2010 vintage (which BTW is drinking very well today) as my go to wine that accompanies hearty, rich, savory and spicy belly filling food. It’s bright fruit, spicy notes and plum like finish all give it the kind of heft and weight, but in a delicate way, that makes this wine a multi-dimensional food wine.

That’s why, the 2018 Domaine Jaume “Generations” is today’s WineSiders’ Wine of the Day!!!

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2019 Ameztoi Txakolina Rubentis

Delightfully light, easy to drink and full of fruit rose wines are not so hard to come by. But those with a light bubbly approach are not as easy to find. Thank fully there’s the 2019 Ameztoi Txakolina Rubentis Rose, a Spanish pink wine from the Basque region in Northwestern Spain, where tapas and small plates are king.

Made in the region best know for Getariako Txakolina, the blend of two very local grapes, Hondarribi Zuri and its red companion Hondarribi Beltza make a lightly fizzy rose that is vinified in stainless steel and then bottled with carbonic acid that evolves naturally during fermentation.

Possessing a light fuchsia color and an enticing menthol and tropical citrus flavor of red melons, sour cherries and strawberry notes, the wine is one of those that you realize bottle’s empty before you know it. 

That’s why the 2019 Ameztoi Txakolina Rubentis Rose is today’ Winesiders’ Wine of The Day.