The Cellar: Three Discoveries to Buy Right Now

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Friday, April 01, 2011

Steffen Rasch, GoLocalProv Wine Critic

This week brings us three great wines from across the world. First, we travel to Argentina where we will taste a top-rated Malbec, then it is off to South Australia for a lovely Shiraz that is grossly under-priced. This week’s travels end in Oregon with an organic Pinot Gris. As a new feature each edition of The Cellar will be offering a weekly suggestion for a food & wine pairing inspired by recent food & wine events attended by GoLocalProv.com food and wine critics.

2009 Achaval Ferrer Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina

The backstory: This week’s first wine is the 2009 Achaval Ferrer Malbec from the Mendoza winegrowing region of Argentina. It might be a hard find as the wine has received great reviews across the board. While no

single vineyard wine (its grapes are soured from three leased vineyards in the Mayor Drummond, La Consulta and Medrano districts of Mendoza) winemaker Roberto Cipresso still direct all the viticulture work done in each property to assure quality.

The wine: On the nose there is a great play between smoke, dark fruits and dark chocolate shavings with nothing being over the top. On the palate the wine comes across extremely well-balanced, displaying a complex array of flavors with sweet and ripe dark fruits in the forefront, along side nice acidity and just a hair of oak keeping everything in line. The dry, long finish and smooth tannins makes for an A- Malbec in my book.

2006 Razor’s Edge Shiraz-Grenache, McLaren Vale, Australia

The backstory: McLaren Vale is a half-hour's drive south of Adelaide and is one of Australia’s oldest winemaking regions. Named after David McLaren, the Colonial Manager of the South Australia Company who

arrived in the colony in 1837, McLaren Vale has grown into a hotspot for wine enthusiasts and culinary explorers alike. The Mediterranean style climate with warm sunny days and a fresh sea breeze from the nearby Gulf makes ideal growing conditions for a wide variety of grapes, among them Shiraz and Grenache.

The wine: While I have had my fair share of Grenache/Shiraz blends in the past, it was interesting to come across a blend with Shiraz as the primary grape. The 2006 blend from Razor’s Edge winery is 75% Shiraz and 25% Grenache and the winery's first such blend. In taking the colorful, powerful, and deliciously full-bodied sweet dark blackberry flavors from Shiraz and blending them with the spicy yet soft characteristics of Grenache, the winemaker has made an amazing wine. The tannins are smooth; the wine has great mouth feel and is very well-balanced. (B+) 

The weekly pairing: 2008 Cooper Mountain Reserve Pinot Gris  , Oregon

If you have an anniversary, birthday or any other kind of special occasion coming up in the next few weeks, I have a great suggestion for a dinner treat. Once in a while Gracie’s restaurant in Providence invites outside chefs to collaborate with its own kitchen master, Chef Varga. The result is an impressive five-course dinner with matching wines. The event is called the “Star Series” and is a true culinary food experience matched

superbly with great wines. The next such event is April 11th, and features Chef Evan Mallett, owner of the Black Trumpet Bistro in Portsmouth, NH. Seating is limited, so be sure to make your reservations today.

I attended the previous such event which was a five-course Foie Gras themed dinner. The food was wonderful and the wines chosen by wine and spirits manager Brendan Roane to accompany the dishes paired nicely. My favorite pairing of the evening was the appetizer dish which consisted of tuna tartare, nori cured foie gras with a sweet soy glaze topped with a quails egg. The dish was paired with the 2008 Cooper Mountain Reserve Pinot Gris. The perfectly sized chucks of raw tuna, with the salty nori and soy matched perfectly with the ripe and nicely acidic medium-bodied Pinot Gris, which left you tasting minerals and light melon flavors (B+).

Enjoy!

Stay connected to the local wine scene by checking out The Wine Calendar. And as always, don’t forget to follow GoLocalProv’s Wine Cellar on Facebook.

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