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Wine Guys
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Winter has come to Washington with a vengeance. Even the snowmen the neighborhood kids made last month want to come inside and warm up. I usually look forward to the cold weather each year so I can break out big red wines, but this winter, I think I'll have to dig just a little deeper and find some really big red wines – the thermal underwear equivalent – to keep me company through this frigid frosting.
What is it about cold nights that beg for the company of big red wines? They just seem to go together. Like Simon and Garfunkel (am I dating myself?), they tend to make each other a little better for pairing. Personally, cold nights give me an excuse to hunker down and enjoy leisurely dinners with friends featuring hearty fare, warm crusty bread and long, stimulating conversations energized by bottles of red wine. I am convinced most of the world's problems could be solved if people took time to sit down and share a glass – or two – of red wine and a plate of beef bourguignon.
However, finding the right big red takes a little bit of thought. After all – and no offense to the beauty and grace of pinot noir – most warm-your-toes reds need to have a little "chewiness" to them. Some of the essential qualities that I look for in winter reds include depth, structure and power. Big, full-bodied black fruit – such as blackberry, dark plum and cassis – usually supplies the power. Tannins provide structure while acidity keeps the wine balanced. Most "winter reds" will benefit from an hour or two in a decanter in order to soften the tannins and bring out the fruit. If you are in a big hurry to have that first glass, try the “Vinturi” Wine Aerator ($40). It is one of the few such devices on the market that really works in opening up a young wine.
One other trick, if you don't have the time or patience to wait for the wine to soften, is to pair it with soft cheeses with a high fat content – such as brie or camembert – and bread. The milk fat in the cheese will soften the tannins and provide a rounder mouthfeel to the wine. All wine seems to taste better when paired with food.
Here are several big red wines that will warm your palate without melting your wallet.
Acon Crianza 2004, Ribera del Duero, Spain ($30)
This delicious 100 percent tempranillo has notes of cedar, minerals, leather and blackberry fruit. The flavors are multi-layered with black fruit influences and balanced vanilla oak. It is lush, round and perfect with meats and cheeses.
Alta Marca 2007, Madrid, Spain ($14)
A unique blend of cabernet, syrah, tempranillo and merlot, it offers plenty of black currants, strawberry and spice on the nose. On the palate, currant and spice flavors have excellent depth and a supple texture. There is a lot of wine here for the money.
Anciano Tinto Gran Reserva 1999, Valdepenas, Spain ($12)
This unique tempranillo is aged 10 years before release. It is a classic old style tempranillo that offers up an expressive bouquet of vanilla, earth notes, leather, spice box and blackberry. This leads to an elegant wine with notes of licorice, espresso and black fruit on the palate. Quite rich and full-flavored, this wine is delicious.
Carodorum Issos 2005, Toro, Spain ($24)
The massive, brooding 2005 Isos was sourced from Tinta de Toro (tempranillo) vines over 25 years old and aged for 9 months in French oak. Dark ruby-colored, it offers a fragrant bouquet of cedar, violet, plum, blueberry and blackberry. It is rich, full bodied and deeply textured; perfect for a cold night in front of the fire.
Vagabond 2005, Napa ($60)
This is a huge mouthfilling blend of syrah and cabernet from the Napa Valley. It is a dark, intriguing, full-blown blend, enigmatic in its nature. It possesses coffee, hazelnut, chocolate and cassis flavors all layered and balanced. Although Vagabond provides instant gratification, it will continue to be pleasurable for many, many years.
Black Pearl Oro 2006, Paarl, South Africa ($17)
A delightful cabernet shiraz blend with peppery dark fruits, licorice, herbs and bitter chocolate on the nose. It is surprisingly sweet on the palate, with a liqueur-like note to the black fruit flavors, and offers good volume and length finishing with rather fine-grained, ripe tannins.
Bogle Petite Sirah 2007, California ($12)
One of the few large production wines I enjoy is this petite sirah – the flagship wine of Bogle. Blackberries and plums are prevalent on both the nose and palate of this wine. Surprisingly inky and jammy for such a low-priced petite sirah it offers lots of black fruit and spice. Notes of supple leather and toasty oak envelop the flavors through the finish.
Brokenwood Shiraz 2006, Australia ($27)
A blend of fruit: 81 percent McLaren Vale – SA; 10 percent Hunter Valley – NSW; 9 percent Beechworth – VIC. Being mostly from McLaren Vale, there is plenty of dark berry aromas with sweet oak. The palate is rich and long with cherry fruit, oak in the background and some vanilla. The tannins are quite soft and ripe with great complexity and finesse. Enjoy this chewy shiraz with grilled lamb.
Cascina Adelaide Barbera Amablin 2006, Piedmonte, Italy ($40)
Toast and caramel highlight the nose along with loads of sweet baking spice, cocoa and coffee aromas. It has good oak with tons of sweet, jammy fruit underneath. This is big and dense in the mouth with an old-vines feel to it. It is chewy yet balanced with a lot of power. There are lovely herbal and spice nuances to the solid core of red fruits. On the finish, lively notes of sour cherry lead to good, balanced acidity.
Coudolet de Beaucastel C otes-du-Rhone 2007, Rhone Valley, France ($30)
There is a lot of hype about the 2007 vintage in the Southern Rhone and the better Chateauneuf-du-Papes are selling for well over $60 a bottle. This wine has all the richness of Chateauneuf at half the price. It is incredibly opulent and rich, with sensational notes of black currants, licorice, smoked herbs, and meat juices, a full-bodied mouthfeel, savory tannins, and good acidity as well as length. I think this may become my winter house-wine.
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