When I found out Charles Woodson, famed NFL defensive back and University of Michigan alumnus was creating his own wine I knew I had to find some and try it. Even though Charles Woodson played for Michigan and won the Heisman Trophy when I was still under the age of 10, as I grew up I understood the athletic talent that he possessed. To this day, I still watch every single University of Michigan football (for better or for worse) and may have found a suitable wine to have during the games. The Intercept has a line of four wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, red blend, and Pinot Noir. I’ve been able to locate all four at my local grocery store but was most intrigued by the red blend. When researching the variety of grapes that composed this red blend, I found many reviews that described this wine as “powerful”. Clocking in at a heavy 16.5% ABV, this red blend is damn near a fortified port wine, but it drinks so much smoother than the alcohol content would lead you to believe. The “Intercept” wine brand is based out of the Paso Robles AVA in the Central Coast of California. In this AVA (American Viticultural Area), there are other big-time wine players such as the grocery store recognizable brands of Robert Mondavi and Beringer, along with J. Lohr. According to The World Atlas of Wine, 7th Edition, the Paso Robles AVA is a hot area with a minimal coastal breeze to cool it down. Consequently, that hot climate produces very fruit-forward wines which are pretty evident in Intercept’s red blend. The red blend, according to the Intercept Wines website, is made from 40% Petite Sirah, 30% Zinfandel, and 15% Petite Verdot (I also noticed that this does not equal 100%, so there is 15% of the blend that is unaccounted for). All three of the grape varietals that are accounted for in this red blend are on the above-average to “full” bodied red wine grape varietals, with Zinfandel being the highest per Wine Folly’s The Master Guide: Magnum Edition. It’s no wonder this wine possesses so many layers and such a full mouthfeel. Paso Robles, California After pouring the deep purple wine, it gave way to a dark fruit heavy scent with blackberries, plums, and black currant. This gave the wine a great structure to begin but then the earthy tones finished it with hints of tobacco and cedar. Admittedly, the layers caught me a bit off guard as I was anticipating a more in-your-face feeling with the high alcohol and fuller-body varietals, but after a few more sips, it became evident that this wine was more than that, but had different layers. Other flavors I could taste hints of included raspberry, blueberry crumble, and even some dark chocolate. The end mouthfeel is very, very smooth with a touch of tannins, but not enough to turn off the wine drinker who doesn’t like bone dry wines. Due to the high alcohol content, this wine has legs for days. Wow. While this wine could be paired with grilled beef or ribs, I think this wine would be better enjoyed alone to appreciate the complexity and depth of the blend. This is a very good wine and I look forward to trying to the other varietals.
Specs: ABV: 16.5% Varietal: Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, and Petite Verdot Region: Paso Robles AVA, Central Coast, California, USA Bottle size: 750ml Pairings: Grilled beef, ribs Acclaim: 90 pts. - Wilfred Wong of wine.com, 88 pts. - Wine Enthusiast My Vivino rating: 4.5/5
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This summer I decided to embark on a journey to taste a different Rosé each week and compile my thoughts into a blog post each month with four different Rosé wines. For each week I will create a table with different information and then a brief summary of my opinion on each wine. I hope you enjoy. Cheers! NV Leelanau Cellars “Summer Sunset” Rosé: My first reviewed Rosé of my self-titled Rosé Summer comes from my home state Michigan. Located in Northern Michigan, Leelanau Cellars has about a dozen types of wines that are available to order on their website, as well as found in markets of all types throughout Michigan. This Rosé is a staple with Leelanau Cellars and can be found year round in many Michigan supermarkets. I’ve had this Rosé before, but not for many years and was ready to give it a second tasting. The color in the bottle and in the glass are a medium/darker shade of pink. The coloring gave me a hint that this wine would have some depth in the flavor, but yet still be a refreshing (and inexpensive!) summer sipper. With the smell of raspberry and slate, the Rosé did not disappoint. A very cool and refreshing wine with a taste of strawberry on the front and finishing with watermelon on the clean finish makes this an ideal wine to have at a backyard get together. 2018 Cupcake Rosé: My second reviewed Rosé of the season. I’ve had other Cupcake wines and enjoyed them, so this one was a no-brainer to sample. This Rosé presents a much lighter color than other Rosé wines I’ve had so that gave me the hint that it would be a lighter wine. The smell of freshly picked strawberries with their stems still attached – light with an earthy edge – was the over-powering aroma. The smell itself was enough to make you think of summer. This Rosé was a bit drier than the Leelanau Cellars, but still dry within reason so that the sweet wine lovers will enjoy this wine as well. I had a second glass a few days after I opened the bottle and it made a difference. The wine was crisper and lighter with more fruit taste throughout the tasting. A good wine, but I preferred others Rosés. 2018 Apothic Rosé: This is one of the many varieties of Apothic wines I’ve had and I’m adding it to my list of go-to’s. This has been one of my favorite Rosé wines I’ve ever had to date, if not my favorite. It smells strongly of strawberries and a touch of tart watermelon. However, the end mouthfeel is a buttery smoothness that perfectly contrasts with the Cupcake Rosé I tried last week. This Rosé has a strong body and depth that fits in with red wines that I love, but in a summer-friendly Rosé. This wine is for those who are looking for a Rosé that doesn’t provide a dry crispness and have some depth, or are looking to expand their palette. NV Barefoot Rosé: The final Rosé for the month is another light summer sipper, but the lightest of the four I’ve sampled this month. Most wine drinkers associate Barefoot with cheap wine (this bottle was on sale at my local grocery store at 2 for $9), and some millennials could even associate Barefoot with being “basic”, but I was quite surprised by the simplicity and smoothness of this Rosé. It smells of a light wine with a touch of watermelon and finishes with a tartness that is subtle, but present. This is a wine I would definitely buy again as a deep summer sipper and/or share with friends as an inexpensive, but quality Rosé. These four wines took me through the United States and were mass-market types of Rosé. I was pleasantly surprised by each one of these wines, as mass-market wines can sometimes get a bad rap, but each one provided me a different taste and body. These wines represent a microcosm of the world of Rosé wines and I'm looking forward to sampling four more and giving my opinions on those.
Recently, I had a friend of mine recommend the Slow Press Cabernet Sauvignon to me. This winter I have been drinking mostly Malbec, Tempranillo, and other medium-bodied reds. Despite having a ton of dry fuller-bodied wines stashed away to drink, I decided to follow my friend’s recommendation, and seek the Slow Press Cabernet Sauvignon. I knew I could locate it at my local grocery store because I spotted it there a few months ago and it was within my price range. I figured it was as good of a time as any to crack it open and see how it was for myself. Cabernet Sauvignon is top wine style I’ve rated on the wine app Vivino, with Californian Cabernet Sauvignon’s making up 6% of my ratings, with 21 different wines and an average rating of 4.0 out of 5.0. The label states that their “vintners know that great wines are worth waiting for, so they’ve slowed down the winemaking process from start to finish.” They claim that this slowing of the process produces “the purest, most concentrated flavors, and smooth finish.” Slow Press also takes their grapes from three regions in California: Paso Robles, Monterey (San Lucas), and Lodi. Each of the three regions provides their own characteristics to the Cabernet. Photo courtesy of Dowellwine.com This map shows the 3 regions where the grapes are imported for the 2016 vintage of the Slow Press Cabernet Sauvignon - Paso Robles, Monterey County, and Lodi. I used my “Everyday Wine Carafe” from Crate & Barrel to “decanter” the wine for approximately 30 minutes prior to smelling and tasting the Cabernet Sauvignon. This Cabernet was a dark ruby color with a bright(er) red edges around the glass. The smell was fruit forward with smells of blackberry, raspberry, a touch of oregano and dried leaves. The taste of the Cabernet was held up with a flavor of blackberry jam which gave away to a dash of black pepper and a finish of dried roses. I know that black pepper and dried roses don’t exactly scream smooth, but it worked. There was a little dryness to the wine, but the Cabernet’s drinkability is superb. When I had another glass the next day, the black pepper and black tea came through even more and gave the Cabernet a more round, complete mouthfeel. This wine drank much smoother than other full-bodied, tannin-heavy wines, which I attribute to a mix of different region’s grapes and their “press” processing style. It was an interesting departure from the normal Cabernet that I usually drink.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the Slow Press Cabernet Sauvignon. I was initially expecting the fuller bodied red Cabernet that most other California vineyards produce. This was an unexpected departure and shattered my notion that every Cabernet from California is a robust dry red. I would recommend this wine for anyone who appreciates dark fruit with earthy flavors, but not the dry mouth feeling those wines sometimes come with. For the $11.99 price tag, this wine is definitely worth trying. Specs: ABV: 13.5% Varietal: Cabrnet Sauvignon Region: Paso Robles, Monterey (San Lucas), and Lodi regions, California, United States Bottle size: 750ml Pairings: Red meat Vivino rating: 4.0/5.0 |
Author20 something living in Beer City USA with an affinity for wine. Other hobbies include photography, reading, and playing my pup. Archives
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