Three with food

[Florida Jim]

With burgers:

2004 Quenard, Vin de Savoie Chignin:

This was so much better with air – I will decant every bottle of this from now on; smelled like a cross between gamay and cabernet franc; was ripe, mid-weight and clean in the mouth and finished with pretty red fruit and stone flavors. Really good accompaniment.

With pasta with caramelized onions and olives:

2004 Bodega Mustiguillo, Mestizaje:

This is a young vines cuvee that although a blend, emphasizes the bobal grape; rich and chocolaty, good depth and concentration, no lack of acid, precise balance, extremely fine tannins and no overt wood; the texture reminded me of very high-end CA cabernet but without all the oak and manipulation; a big mouthful of wine but not heavy, cloying or laced with RS; long, smooth finish. So much more impressive than the 2003 version of this wine; this bodega (est. 1999 and family owned) in Valencia, Spain, seems poised to do great things. Their top wine (Quincha Corral) has always been too heavily wooded for me but, considering the fine hand with the Mestizaje, this vintage may be worth trying.

BTW, the blend here includes cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah, granacha and tempranillo, as well as bobal. Excellent with the dish.

And, it’s only about $12!

With saffron risotto:

2003 Dumol, Chardonnay chloe Vineyard:

Immensely frustrating wine; such intense and delicious fruit hidden behind all that butterscotch oak. The fruit comes from the Ritchie and Dutton vineyards, both cool-climate plots, and it provides a wonderful core and depth – but the winemaker should be horse-whipped – he has snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. What a shame.

Fair with the dish.

Best, Jim