Wines of the Week with John Syfor

2010 Rickshaw Cabernet Sauvignon California

     First I would like to offer my apologies for not posting last week. My reason for doing so was simply that I had not come across a wine I felt strongly about. Well, I am back and I have a great value from California. 

     Rickshaw is a second label from the talented people behind Banshee Wines. Their purpose with the Rickshaw wines is to both provide quality wines at affordable prices and also give back to the people. They are able to provide great value by finding quality fruit sources from the well know wine producing regions of California, then creating a final blend of all sources. They give back to the people by donating 5% of every bottle sold to feed the hungry in the state where the bottle is sold. Good wine, good cause and now you can drink to feed the hungry.

     Rickshaw makes three wines, but it was the 2010 Cabernet which caught my attention last week. This wine is dark garnet in color with aromas of dark berry, plum, dark chocolate and cassis spice. In the mouth it is full bodied, balanced and bright with flavors of dark plum, cinnamon, dark chocolate and graphite. At around $15 this Cabernet is a fantastic red wine to enjoy by the glass or with grilled steak or pork.

John Syfor

john@federalwine.com

Wine of the Week with John Syfor

2010 Greystone California Chardonnay

     This affordable little beauty was presented to me last week and it is an unbelievable value. Not a heavy over-oaked fruit bomb, this wine was made with food in mind. In fact, the Greystone winery building, which was built in 1889, is the current home of the California branch of the Culinary Institute of America. The wine was originally made exclusively for the Institute, before becoming nationally available. A portion of the proceeds goes to benefit the not-for-profit Institute.

     In the glass it is medium gold in color with bright, fresh aromas of tropical fruit, apples and pineapple. On the palate it is medium bodied with flavors of green apple, pears and a touch of vanilla balanced by a line of crisp acidity. At about $10 per bottle, this wine became a new candidate for my everyday house white wine. I would pair this with chicken or fuller fish dishes like tuna.

John Syfor

john@federalwine.com

Wine of the Week with John Syfor

2011 Leese - Fitch California Cabernet Sauvignon

     It's been some time since I last posted and I recently decided to get back into it. I thought a regular weekly posting would make sense, but I needed a theme. I settled on posting about affordable everyday wine and decided to title it "wine of the week". A wine of the week would have to be something I found which was both interesting and represented "good value", so it could be opened any day of the week. 

     That being said, the first post is about the 2011 Leese-Fitch California Cabernet Sauvignon. It is not often I come across an inexpensive California Cabernet which I find as interesting as this one. The fun began with the bottle's closure. In place of a traditional cork or screw cap is the new(my first experience with it) Zork, which is a sort of peel and reseal type of cork made of 100% recyclable material. I opened the bottle and poured a glass. From the first sniff I was hooked. In place of the usual ripe dark fruits were the aromas of bell pepper, leather and roasted meats. In the mouth the wine was savory, i.e., round and flavorful, with hints of clove, cherry, tobacco and vanilla. Whenever possible, I like to put the cork back in the bottle and taste the wine the next day to see how it may have developed. What I typically find with most inexpensive and even many mid-priced California red wines is that they do not improve. Usually the big ripe fruit is gone, often times replaced by tart cranberry flavors. However, what I found with the Leese-Fitch was that the wine stayed essentially the same on the palate(in the mouth), while developing additional aromas of black olive, mint and balsamic.

At around $12 a bottle, I found this wine to provide quite a nice experience. I would pair it with red meats, especially steak and burgers.

John Syfor

john@federalwine.com

Food Porn from the West Coast: Beer Brat with Patrick Greer

Outside of the Home Depot in Tracy, California, you will find a stand selling the most amazing beer brats. These brats come from Lockeford Meat and Sausage Service, located an hour away in Lockeford, California.

"Best everything meat related I've ever had. The beef jerky and sausages are to die for! I know guys who come from Denver. Oh, this beer brat is delicious...spicy, juicy goodness!" - Patrick Greer

Wine: Beef-Friendly Everyday Value

Available at Federal Wines & Spirits

The 2008 Villa San Maurice Cabernet Sauvignon Central Coast was presented to me last week and I was immediately struck by the quality and structure for the price. This is not simple wine. In 2001, Kevin Shanno acquired Villa San Maurice and turned it into one of California’s premier multi-appellation wineries. The Cabernet is balanced with 10% Merlot and is sourced from vineyards in both Paso Robles and Monterrey

2008 Villa San Maurice Cabernet Sauvignon Central Coast: Dark purple, Smokey cassis, black olive and spice. Medium to full bodied with lively acidity and mild tannin. Fresh cherry fruit with a hint of mint. Long balanced fresh finish Very Good Plus 11.99/bottle 10.79/mixed case 10.19/case

John Syfor - Wine Consultant

Federal Wines and Spirits

29 State Street, Boston MA

john@federalwine.com