Muriel, Rioja, 2005

White or Red: Red
Grape(s): Tempranillo

Origin: Rioja, Spain
Vintage: 2005

Price: $15, Square and fair

Overall:

I saw something last week in the NY Times- some wine article and its opening paragraph alluded to the difficulty of learning the lingo- maybe you caught it too.  It reaffirmed Semi-Pro's place in the chaos.  It provoked me to give you a little knowledge nugget on this week's wine because it's very confusing to understand the terms as they appear on the bottle. 

Rioja - Spanish red wine grown in the La Rioja Provence of Spain.  Typically, it is a blended with other grapes from neighboring Provences.  There are three subdivisions in La Rioja: Rioja Alta, Rioja Baja, Rioja Alavesa.  Along with a few other varietals, Tempranillo, is a grape grown in these regions used to produce Rioja.  Got it?  Good, on to the review.

Muriel is a light-bodied red that presents a pleasant floral scent.  I get a little vanilla and dark ripe fruit (predominately plums).  Overall, you get sense this has matured quite elegantly and while the taste does not last ever-long, while it's in your mouth, it's soft and inviting.  Like an elephant in the room, you can't help but think (and know!), it's from a place other than California or the USA.  We'll just say this Spanish beauty is easily in my top 3 behind the Luigi Bosca duo.  One of the best under $15.00.

La Cana, 2010, Spain

White or Red: White

Grape(s): Albarino

Origin: Rias Baixas, East side of Spain close to Portugal

Vintage: 2010

Price: Approaching $15

Didn't think we'd come right back at ya?  Well, we did.

Overall:

Albarino, the grape La Cana is made from, I'm not familiar with it but like David Bowie, I'd like to develop a closer relationship.  I ran the name of the grape through Wikipedia and I got some more info but ultimately it would be meaningless to you.  All you need to know is La Cana is excelente and by the second glass I was rolling my r's well enough to make my hot 11th grade spanish teacher blush.

It would be against Semi-Pro rules to give you the exact tasting notes from the back of the bottle but occasionally, for the right reasons, rules can be broken.  I make an exception here because I would have said almost the same thing but in a much more complicated way (it's that simple to review). And that is also against Semi-Pro rules- so the lesser of the two infractions is only for your benefit.

"Offering lush aromas of white peaches and ripe pears followed by pineapple and bright citrus the wine finishes on a crisp dry note."

It's super light in color and structure but stands up really well.  Money in the bank for serving as an opener.  You should serve it cold and keep it chilled.  Hasta manana.

Luigi Bosca, 2007, Malbec

White or Red: Red

Grape(s): Malbec

Origin: Mendoza, Argentina

Vintage: 2007

Price: around $15

We're back.  I blame it on the hurricane, those hazy summer days and a lumpy economy.  

Overall:

We did the Luigi Bosca Cab Sav awhile back and friends mentioned that the Malbec version was one I needed to taste.  So I did and here's what I think.

Freakin' awesome.  You ever take a swim in a fresh-water river or lake and get a little water in your mouth?  You know how soft and silky that water is?  Well, that is the first thing you need to know about this wine.  Never have I been so attuned to a wine's texture- it's remarkable how soft and subtle it is.  

Further, some of the other Malbecs we've done  have been on the heavier side.  This one runs with more of a Pinot Noir consistency- light but grounded. 

The nose has hints of vanilla, strawberry jam, cola and big cherry fruit but it's in the context of a mature, well-balanced winner.

I would put this with a manchego cheese, tapas or even to the other extreme, heavy red meat.  More importantly I'd drink it without any food at all.

The bounty comes after being uncorked for an hour or more.  You gotta be patient when you get to better bottles - this wine opened up better than Gun's & Roses when they upstaged headliners, the Cult, night after night in '87.  Plan ahead, get a $5 wine aerator and drink another bottle while this one breathes.  Do that and this feels like a $50 bottle.

Grgich Hills, Fume Blanc, 2009

White or Red: White

Grape(s): Sauvignon Blanc

Origin: Napa Valley

Vintage: 2009

Price: Cheaper than $15

Overall:

This one comes from a loyal reader who enforces rules on my job.  From the Sauvignon Blancs we've posted on Semi-Pro, this one is vastly different.  Perhaps it's the biodynamic grapes they use on their estate or maybe just the origin - who cares.

Grgich Hills smells like Granny Smith apples with a slight tinge of lemon rearing from the annals of the bottle.  It is undeniably well balanced, mostly crisp/dry and finishes silky and soft.  Kind of an interesting mouth texture if I might add.

From the ones I've tasted and posted, SB is typically very light-  Grgich certainly has a bigger structure that sternly places it in the medium-bodied category.  By no means it this characteristic off-putting- I merely mention it because I started the post by saying how the wine was like no other SB we've posted.

You'd be well liked if you served this very cold.  While the first glass made me reach for the computer to post, the second made me sad that it's only Tuesday

Arancio, Pinot Noir, 2009

White or Red: Red

Grape(s): Pinot Noir

Origin: Sicily

Vintage: 2009

Price: Cheaper than $10

Overall:

Arancio is awesome. Ripe, juicy plums steal the show in this medium bodied wine. Sense of sophistication with a real serving of fruit in the scent. In the world of Pinot's this one is a tad heavier than some of the others we've posted but it gives it this solid, unflappable structure. The longer it sits in the glass the better.  Absolutely.

How I found it:

Funny how the role of marketing plays into our minds- consciously and subconsciously.

Here's the story...   Went to a nice italian restaurant in Plymouth, MA. I just so happened to order a Pinot Noir called Acrobat- the well-schooled bartender quipped "thats our most popular Pinot"! Generally, I'm not afraid of responses like that but if I had my druthers I'd always prefer to find the dark horse. Nonetheless I was given a taste: Not good.   The barkeep noticed my grimace and lunged for a different bottle- Arancio. "Ah, much better", I mentioned, she totally agreed.

I sat and thought why I was drawn to the Acrobat on the menu- well, with the little knowledge I have, I summarized that Pinot Noir from Oregon spells success - plus it's like super trendy right now. Wrong. Wine is so subjective and no one formula, vintage, grape, blend or region is guaranteed to consistently perfect - after all mother nature is at play here and recent years have been anything but predictable .  It IS a very complex process!

I now think of wine more like art - your absolutely entitled to your preferences and it's possible to be wrong in the midst of a crowd but right for you. So stand up for yourself- and if you don't care for it say it aloud - So the takeaway?  All Pinot's from Oregon, like we've been marketed to think, are not great!

Be your own man or women. Stand up for what you believe in life AND in wine.

Campone 2009 Rossi di Montalcino

White or Red: Rojo
Grape(s): Sangiovese

Origin: Montalcino, Italy

Vintage: 2009

Price: depending on the euro, 13 or so

Overall:
(This review comes from Pete Moss on assignment for Semi Pro in Italy)

So in Italy, as a commercial winemaker, you strive to have your grape stew given a certain classification: DOC (think MLB veteran) or DOCG (think MLB perennial all star). DOC is like Mike Bordick. DOCG is like Mike Schmidt.

Who knows how easy it is to gain admission into these clubs. But, based on what I've tasted in Italy so far, thankfully, the system is not corrupt and it is a taste based denomination.

This Campone 2009 Rossi di Montalcino is of the DOC variety- (hey, mike bordick was a solid player for a long time dont forget) Sweet start. Dry finish. Dark ruby in color. Somewhere in between motor oil and Pinot noir. If you please, trust my taste buds.

I really hope this is available in the states! Alas, if it is only available here in Italia, do not panic. Most reds from Montalcino seem to always get many nods of approval. I bought it for 8 euros today in the town of Amalfi. So it fits in the "under 15 bucks" category. Ciao

Cupcake, Pinot Noir, 2009

White or Red: White

Grape(s): Pinot Noir
Origin: Cali

Vintage: 2009

Price: Like 12 or something

Overall:

My friend Matt is like 43 and he’d gone that long without hearing the phrase “that’s right in your wheelhouse”.  Then one day he showed up at rehearsal and I used the phrase and he said, “I’ve never heard of it until today and you’re the second person to say it”.  Well, I had the same experience with Cupcake.  One day I was introduced to it at a wedding and the following week it appeared again… at another wedding!

Cupcake is simple to review: ripe cherries married perfectly with old leather and a little spice.  I would equate it to a really good slice of pizza- good crust, nice mix between sauce and cheese served at the right temperature.  Speaking of which this would go well with pizza (Dean's in particular on the UWS)!

Cupcake is really light in color which also speaks loudly for its drinkability and structure.  It was agreed upon amongst wedding attendees that the wine during the entire taste is soft and velvety.

An absolute for your collection or any other event you may be going to this summer.  This one is the real deal and shouldn’t be passed up.  Give it some time to breathe.