Wow, it's the last month of the year, and it has proven to be a very busy one already. It's only Wednesday, but I feel like I've already put in a week's worth of work. With our December Wine Club fully processed and the online orders from our holiday promotion racking up our daily sales, I told myself I deserved to give my eyes a break from the computer screen and have a nice lunch.
A new wine on the menu at the Rutherford Grill caught my eye. It was the T-Vine Monte Rosso Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma County for $11 a glass. With such positive and mouth-watering memories from our tasting at the T-Vine winery in Calistoga, I ordered a glass to wash down my burger.
It was a youthful and juicy Cab that will probably be better in a year, but it was tasty and left a lingering hint of blueberry on my tongue.
The T-Vine winery itself is far off the beaten path, thus they don't get many visitors (which is a shame, because their wines are delicious and exciting!). Without a formal tasting room, Matt and I hung out in the barrel room one morning this past summer and tasted barrel samples of the Grenache, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Syrah.
My favorite wine (and the reason for our trek up
to Calistoga) was their Grenache, which I was introduced to at Mustard's, where it was on the wines-by-the-glass list last year. If you happen to come across their Grenache, it's a steal for the quality and drinkability ($30 a bottle; the Monte Rosso Cab is $50).
This is a big and ballsy Grenache, with the tannic structure of a Cab but the finesse of a Merlot. It is heavily perfumed, with a full body of dark, ripe fruit and sweet oak. This is a wine that will hold up to any steak, lamb, or chop, but it is polished and complex enough to be enjoyed on its own.
Surprisingly, the 2007 Grenache and the 2006 Zinfandel are sold at the Whole Foods in Napa. I need to add these to my grocery list!
No comments:
Post a Comment