TN: Something completely different

[Florida Jim]

First: Manchego cheese, figs and crackers

Second: pasta with zucchini, cream, parmesan, chicken and a topping of fresh tomatoes

2004 Gorrondona, Bizkaiko Txakolina (pronounced chack-o-LEE-nah):

This wine is from the Basque region of Spain and is made with the grape hondarrabi beltza, an indigenous variety. The vines are over 100 years old, from a single vineyard and the fermentation is done in stainless.

Very dark fruit on the nose, somewhat roasted, with accents of scorched earth and herbs – intriguing; intense dark fruit in the mouth with herbs, chalky bitter-chocolate tannins and a rustic but balanced delivery; long finish. The tannins smoothed out over the course of the evening yet never lost grip. 12.5% alcohol, imported by De Maison Selections and about $18 on release: I’d buy it again.

I chose the wine to match with the Spanish cheese but then Diane found the figs (which also do well with manchego). By then the wine was already opened so we ate the cheese and figs without it but when we had only the crackers and cheese it really paired nicely as the cheese became creamier and the wine lost some of its bitter-chocolate notes and smoothed out.

With the second course, the wine also did well as the cream and cheese softened it and the fresh tomatoes made the herbal notes complimentary (almost like having basil with fresh tomato).

(Aside: This wine has come a long way since release when it was too tannic to drink and the herbal tones were dominant – now they are simply an accent and a light one, at that.)

Best, Jim