Wine Weekly

Beckmen Sauvignon Blanc for Thanksgiving

Beckmen Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc · Santa Ynez Valley, California

This one is a late addition to the list, I know, but it is well worth considering for your Thanksgiving feast.

By its nature, Sauvignon Blanc tends to be a food-friendly wine, pairing well with myriad dishes. And what Thanksgiving table doesn’t include myriad dishes?

This particular Sauvignon Blanc from Beckmen Vineyards is enjoyable on its own — so you can serve it before dinner — but also has a character that matches well with enough foods that it can continue to be poured throughout the feast.

Tasting Notes: Beckmen Sauvignon Blanc 2008

Appealing, bright nose of green apple, gooseberry, and a touch of mineral. Note that you will get more of the “green” or unripe notes if you sniff it when it’s too cold — take it out of the fridge and let it warm down to around 58-60 degrees. In the mouth it has a round, unexpectedly buttery texture and ripe flavors of pear, grapefruit, limey citrus, mineral, and a hint of spice. The acidity is medium, but doesn’t come out until the zingy finish that reminds me of granny smith apples. Again, it’s enjoyable on its own, goes well with the white meat, cuts through the fat of the creamed onions, has a spicy note to match with the stuffing, and pairs well with just about anything you throw at it.

Where to buy Beckmen Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc

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Find more information at the Beckmen Vineyards website

Estancia Zinfandel for Thanksgiving

Estancia Zinfandel Canyon Keyes Ranches · Paso Robles, California

In the last post we extolled the virtue of putting an American Zinfandel on the Thanksgiving table, and in this post we have another Zin recommendation, albeit at around half the price: Estancia Canyon Keyes Ranches.

Understand, though, you generally get what you pay for when it comes to wine. And this Estancia bottle — at around twelve bucks — is affordable but does not have the same depth and finish as the previously reviewed Quivira. But, some people are on a tighter budget for the holidays, and if you need to stay below fifteen dollars, Estancia is a solid, easy-to-find Zin that happens to match very well with nearly everything included in a typical Thanksgiving feast.

Tasting Notes: Estancia Zinfandel Canyon Keyes Ranches 2007

Soft and fruity upfront, turning a bit earthy and bitter in the finish. Works well with the dark meat and stuffing, finishing with a cranberry note and cherry tartness. With the white meat it’s OK, not great — it matches better with the dark meat and earthy accoutrements (i.e., stuffed mushrooms). I expect it to be equally palatable with more complex stuffings, such as those that may include mushrooms, dried fruits, sausage, or nuts.

Where to buy Estancia Zinfandel

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Find more information at the Estancia Estates website

Quivira Zinfandel for Thanksgiving

Quivira Zinfandel · Wine Creek Ranch, Dry Creek Valley · California 2007

Since Thanksgiving is a holiday borne from the beginnings of the New World, it’s appropriate to have a grape indigenous to the US on the table next to the turkey. That said, Zinfandel fits the description — though its development may or may not have emanated from Italy’s Primitivo, most experts agree that Zinfandel is very much an “American” grape.

However, Zinfandel has many faces — it can be huge and bold, soft and approachable, sweet and sassy (i.e., “white Zin”), and anything in between. So it’s difficult to generalize and decide that “Zinfandel is a good wine for Thanksgiving”. The truth is, some Zins are perfect for the bird, while others completely miss the mark.

In the case of Quivira, we have a Zinfandel that fits very nicely on the Thanksgiving table. It has rich, ripe red berry flavors that meld well with both the dark and white meat, and a spicy note that compliments most stuffings, gravy, and other items on the table. The thing that makes it a slam-dunk is the finish, which is stunningly similar to cranberry sauce — which of course is already on the table for obvious reasons (it tastes great with turkey!).

Though, don’t make the mistake of trying to drink this Zin — or ANY dry wine — after filling your mouth with cranberry sauce; your palate will be disrupted by a jarring metallic flavor when the two elements combine.

At somewhere around $20-30 depending on the store, Quivira Dry Creek Zinfandel costs enough to be a worthy holiday wine to bring with you as a guest to someone else’s home, but not so much that it kills your wallet in these difficult times.

Following are my full tasting notes.

Tasting Notes: Quivira Zinfandel 2007

Big, ripe, beautiful nose of raspberry, black cherry, vanilla, and plum. It has good weight in the mouth, offering a nice whip of rich, ripe raspberry, vanilla Coke, and mild hints of chocolate. Mild acidity, soft yet ripe tannins. Finishes with pleasing flavors of black cherry and cranberry. No heat on the finish, which is surprisingly nice for a wine with this kind of ripeness and a listed alcohol level of 15.1%. At first I thought this would be too big, but it turned out to be a wonderful companion to the turkey (both white and dark meat), with and without the gravy. It also paired well with simple Stove Top stuffing, roasted carrots, and creamed onions. Recommended.

Where to buy Quivira Zinfandel

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More information can be found at the Quivira Vineyards and Winery website

Red Wine Review: Concannon Syrah

Concannon Syrah 2005 · Livermore Valley

For whatever reason, I’ve always associated Concannon with Petite Sirah — perhaps because they were the first California winery to varietally label the grape back in 1964. And their Petite Sirah generally rocks.

So it was with a little hesitation, overcome by curiosity, that I plucked this bottle from the shelf.

For those unaware, Petite Sirah and Syrah are completely different grapes. Syrah rootstalks were imported from other parts of the world (probably France), while Petite Sirah (which is neither small nor Syrah) is thought to be indigenous to California. We’ll discuss Petite Sirah at greater lengths another time — there’s actually an interesting story and some controversy surrounding its origins. For now, we’ll concentrate on Syrah — the one made by Concannon.

The vintage stocked at my local wine shop is 2005, and it’s drinking very nicely. You may be able to find the 2006 or the 2007 in your area; if so, and you’ve tasted it, please share your notes in the comments.

Tasting Notes: Concannon Syrah 2005

Open nose of mature, overripe black fruits — blackberry, blackcurrant, black raspberry, with hints of tobacco and earth. In the mouth it has a smooth, almost syrupy texture, ripe blackberry and black raspberry flavors. Acidity is mild, tannins are mild. Flavors evolve into a finish of blackberry, blueberry, mild tobacco, and a hint of dark chocolate that is held up with drying acidity. The alcohol is barely noticeable, which is pleasantly surprising for a wine with this much upfront, ripe fruit. OK on its own, perfect with lean-beef burgers, mild cheeses, blackened chicken, sloppy joes, tacos, swedish meatballs.

a-8 t-8 b-8 fc-7 v-7 ~ 88 Points

Bottom Line

A soft and jammy Syrah with enjoyable black berry flavors and perfect match for lean meat dishes. At under $10, a great value.

Where To Buy It

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Learn more at the official website: Concannon Vineyards

Merlot Wine Review: Dante

Dante Merlot 2006 · Michael Pozzan Winery

I have to admit, I purchased this wine based on its label — one of my best friends became a father recently, to a son named “Dante”. So it was an added bonus that the juice behind the label turned out to be pretty good — and well worth the price.

Dante is made by the Michael Pozzan Winery, and ironically (to me, anyway), is named after Michael Pozzan’s eldest son. The wine itself is purportedly inspired by Michael’s trips to Italy — per the the Pozzan website, the wines labeled with “Dante” are: “hearty but approachable wines are reminisant [sic] of your fravorite trattoria in Italy”. At around ten bucks, that’s enough story for me.

I’ve enjoyed the soft, supple, accessible wines from Pozzan for several years, and this bottling fits in with the winery’s style. Unlike other wines from Pozzan, the grapes come from outside Napa — but again, when I’m spending about ten bucks, vineyard location is a moot point. Just give me a decent wine I can enjoy with a simple meal and make me feel like I got my money’s worth. For that, this wine delivers.

Tasting Notes: Dante Merlot

The nose is full of ripe red raspberry, ripe strawberry, and black cherry, with hints of vanilla, spice, earth, and smoke. In the mouth it is borderline jammy upfront, with lots of ripe red berry fruits, vanilla, and white chocolate flavors. The finish is pleasantly tart, with ripe black cherry and red raspberry notes. Acidity is mild to medium, tannins are mild to medium, alcohol is just a touch warm on the finish. All three elements are in good balance with the high fruit level. Enjoyable alone, also good with a variety of foods. Drink it with lean meats, Mexican fare, lean sausage, mild cheeses, vegetarian dishes.

a-8 t-8 b-8 fc-8 v-8 ~ 90 Points

Bottom Line

A soft, warm, approachable Merlot that is enjoyable alone or with simple dishes based on lean meats or mild cheeses. Fine as an everyday drinker and a great value.

Find this wine at a retailer near you using Wine-Searcher, Vinquire, or WineZap

Learn more by visiting the Michael Pozzan Winery website