Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Red Blends

Rockin' wines, and perfect food pairings for the whites!

LEVIATHAN California Red Wine 2006, $48

You may recall a Leviathan as a biblical sea creature (Book of Job, amongst others). Good golly, it's a fine wine, too! Owned and made by the smokin' hot wine team Favia-Erickson, Leviathan is a blend of 41% Cab Sauv, 32% Merlot, 21% Syrah, 7% Cab Franc. Just finished up a roast rack of lamb dinner (Dijon/Rosemary marinade) with eggplant caponata. Good eats, and Leviathan is a great match. Flavors: very ripe berries, low acid, big on pie spice, mocha and caramel flavors. Finish is very soft with sweet cherry jam, toasty oak and Mexican chocolate flavors. This is totally delicious wine in a come 'n' get it kinda way.

NAPA VALLEY FARMS "Cuvée"
Napa Valley 2005, $38
Perhaps you've bought the Napa Valley Farms Viognier, Syrah or Cab Sauv from us. Here's another fine, and fine-value, wine from them.
A Bordeaux-style, Right Bank if you will, blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, in that order. It's well-endowed red with loaded with dark berries, Indian spices, oodles of richness, healthy & fine tannins, full body and long, lush finish. Seekers of rich, Napa Valley reds made from Bordeaux grapes should try this. Reminds me quality, price and style-wise, of the Coho "Headwaters" 2005, a very popular wine for us in 2008.

CHAPPELLET "Mountain Cuvée"
Napa Valley 2006, $28
Part of our continuing series of great-tasting, great-value Napa Cabs and blends. This is half Cabernet, almost half Merlot, then Malbec, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot. Chappellet combines Pritchard Hill Estate fruit and non-Estate, mountain fruit to make this tasty red. Full-bodied but not tannic, dark, deep and nicely spicy. Taste mocha, black currant, blackberry purée, five spice and dark chocolate. This wine is rich, full-bodied, chewy and opulent. It's not shy on oak yet not too much (if you enjoy a well-oaked wine). It's a whole lotta VERY GOOD wine for the price.

BODEGAS EL NIDO "CLIO" Jumilla, Spain 2006, $49

Let's say we shake it up a bit with this new-world style Spanish blend of 70% Monastrell (aka Mourvedre) and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drive about 400 miles down the Mediterranean coast from France, then go inland 75 miles or so and you're in the hot, arid wine region Jumilla, where Monastrell reigns supreme. We're fans of "Clio" vintage to vintage, and you may be too (been around a few years now). The 2006 just came out, and I tried it over the holidays. Yummy! I knew at first whiff this would be a treat as the aromas fly from glass to nostrils. It's a rageing moutful of mouth-staining wild berries & cherries with the perfect complement of white pepper, malt, black currants, herbs de Provence and vanilla. Not shy at 15.5% alcohol, yet there's acidity here to keep it vibrant. Roast pork perhaps? Sausages? Jumilla is Paella country, and a spicy, robust pan, full of shrimp, sausage, garlic, vegis and saffron would be an instant party, no matter how number in attendance.