Why Three Bottles of California Merlot Can Taste So Different

I just had the opportunity blind taste three bottles of California red wine. To start the blind tasting, I did not know the varietal type but was told it was a single varietal wine. And, I was informed that one bottle was from the California Central Coast, one was from Paso Robles and the other was from Napa. It turned out that they were all California Merlot. But, each of the three bottles tasted very different. So, why is this?

One simple answer is - Terroir (p. Te-war). This is a French word that’s derived from their word for earth which is “terre.” It describes the interaction of soil, climate, terrain and grape variety in a specific site, and how they each imprint the wine, making each wine from a specific site distinct.

Here’s an overview of the various components that define a terroir:

Varietal Type

There are multiple types of Merlot grapes, often referred to as various clones. And a quick survey says there 12 certified clones of Merlot in France, approximately 30 registered clones in California and hundreds of clones of Merlot throughout the world. So, there is great variety within the Merlot family of grapes.

Soil

Throughout the world, there is tremendous differences in the types of soil, rock and minerals. Soil definitely affects the flavor of wine while the jury is still out on the topic of rocks and minerals affecting a grape’s flavor. But, many believe that minerals play a defining role.

Terrain

The geological features of a wine-growing region (e.g., mountains, valleys) as well as surrounding plants and large bodies of water (e.g., rivers, lakes and oceans) affect how a wine tastes.

Climate

Wine regions can vary significantly in climate from cool and foggy to hot and sunny. Warmer climates typically generate higher sugar levels whereas cooler climate wine grapes generally have lower sugar levels and higher acidity.

Other Factors

There are also a host of different winemaking techniques that affect how a wine tastes. We’ll get into those next. Until then, Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Sosie Red Blend

2019 Sosie Rossi Ranch Sonoma Valley Red Blend ($43)

For Sosie, France has always shaped their appreciation of wine. It has influenced the way their vineyards are farmed and in the way they treat the fruit in the cellar. They proclaim this affinity with France with their label and their name “Sosie” which in French means ‘twin’ or ‘spitting image.’

In the French tradition of the Rhone Valley, Sosie produces this blend with 51% Grenache, 34% Mouvèdre and 15% Syrah, all from the same certified organic vineyard. However, their wine isn’t just a blend, it’s co-fermented, with all the fruit picked on the same day and the percentages decided then and there. This approach can be a big risk, but it can also yield big rewards.

This Sosie Rhone blend did indeed yield a big reward. While only 10 barrels were produced, I bet they wish they’d made a lot more! The production began with 19 days of skin contact, fermentation in stainless steel tanks and then got the benefit of 15 months of aging in neutral oak.

This GSM Rhone blend is medium ruby in color with dark cherry, lavender, clove and anise aromas. On the palate it’s dusty dry with very moderate tannin, great richness and complexity, flavors of blackberry and plum, and a balanced finish with just the right touch of acidity.

This Sosie Rossie Ranch Red Blend is vegan friendly, organically farmed and fermented with native yeast. With just 10 barrels being produced you may want to get your hands on this one quickly through a direct order from their website. Cheers!

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Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by:

Michelle Keene | Account Director
CALHOUN & COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS

Ever Wonder? What is the Right Amount of Wine to Pour into a Glass?

Well, first let me start by saying you can never have too much wine, right? While that may be true, you can actually have too much wine in your glass. Pouring the ‘right’ amount of wine into a wine glass can actually enhance your enjoyment of the wine.

While we taste with our tongue, it only provides us with a limited amount of information. If you’ve ever tried eating something (like a slice of orange) while holding your nose closed, you’ll know that food has limited flavor when you don’t include the food smells or aromas that enter through your nose.

This is true with wines. While our tongues can only detect the basic tastes (sweet, salt, bitter and sour), our nose is capable of detecting thousands of aromas. Put another way, taste refers to what’s going on inside our mouth including our tongue. But, aromas are detected inside our noses and relates specifically to our sense of smell. Put them both together and you get flavor!

Now, this is where the wine glass comes in. If you fill your wine glass to the top, as shown in the picture, and take a sip, you’ll certainly get taste on your tongue and a bit of aroma as the glass approaches your mouth. But, if instead you fill the glass just about one-third full, just to the point where the glass is at its widest point, you’ll leave the upper two-thirds for the aromas. And, by giving your glass a slight swirl (yes, wine drinkers swirl for a reason!), you’ll release even more aromas into the bowl of your wine glass. Then, when the wine glass approaches your mouth, take a sniff and then a sip. The wine will then have even more flavor.

This is a simple yet very effective trick to get even more enjoyment out of a glass of wine. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Dow's 10 & 20 Year Tawny Porto

Dow’s 10 & 20 Year Tawny Port

Looking for the perfect nightcap after a long day? During these long, warm days of Summer, sipping Dow’s 10 Year Old Tawny Port, or Dow’s 20 Year Old Tawny Port, is the hidden gem of a summer night.

These Port wines are from one of the leading port producers in Portugal. Dow’s is managed by fourth and fifth generation family members of the Symington Family Estates in Portugal.

These wonderful Ports are ready-to-drink and the culmination of over 100 years of experience creating these wines through decades of aging in seasoned oak casks.

From two of the Douro’s finest Quintas: Senhora da Ribeira and Bomfim, these ports are the product of the best hand-harvested vineyards, which have both supplied Dow’s for over a century. Grapes used in the production of port include Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca, Sousão, and Alicante Bouschet.

These 10 and 20 Year Old Ports are the result of a skillful process that balances the original fine fruit flavors with wood-character.

Dow’s Ten Years Old Tawny Port ($39) [92 points - Wine Spectator, 2018]
This Port has a deep russet-colored center that fades to the distinctive garnet edge. On the nose it has bright aromas of red cherry and almonds coupled with toffee and vanilla notes. On the palate this 10 Year Port is mouth-filling, with peppery spice and a touch of marmalade preceding a full finish that includes almond-overtones from the prolonged cask aging.

Dow’s Twenty Years Old Tawny Port ($67) [93 points -Wine Spectator, 2018]
For many, this is the perfect age for a great Tawny Port. After 20 years in seasoned oak casks this Port has become a delicate golden-amber color. It has aromas of honeysuckle and a distinct butterscotch scent.

On the palate, Dow’s Twenty Years Old Tawny is perfectly balanced, with notes of dried nuts and spice, concentrated red berry fruit and a mineral freshness. Nuanced flavors of tobacco lead to a focused, long dry finish.

These are very fine Ports that should be enjoyed in a standard wine so that the aromas and color can be appreciated. Serve slightly chilled in warm weather.

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Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received these samples at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Samples Provided by:

Michelle Keene | Account Director
CALHOUN & COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS

Confusing Sweetness and Fruitiness in Wine

Many wine drinkers may confuse the taste sensations of sweet and fruity. While our brain naturally associates fruit aromas and flavors with sweetness, they are often not directly associated with each other when it comes to wine.

“Fruity” is a term that gets used to describe a wine that has pronounced flavors or aromas of fruits. With wines, you may experience aromas and flavors of citrus (lemon, lime, orange), orchard fruits (apples, pears), stone fruits (apricots, peaches, plums), tropical fruits (pineapple, mango), red fruits (strawberries, cherries, cranberries, raspberries), or dark fruits (blackberries, blueberries, black currant). These wine flavors and aromas may be processed and interpreted as being “sweet.” But, fruity wines aren’t necessarily sweet. Sauvignon Blanc is a good example. While it offers bright fruit flavors of grapefruit, lime, pear and peach, it is typically low in residual sugar.

For a wine to be sweet, it must have residual sugars (RS). That is, sugar that is intentionally left in the juice that doesn’t get converted to alcohol during fermentation. The categories of wine sweetness include “Dry” (1-10 g/L RS), “Off Dry” (10-35 g/L RS), “Sweet” (35-120 g/L RS) and “Very Sweet” (120+ g/L RS).

Most wines on the store shelf are “Dry” but if you’re looking for sweeter white wines look for Kabinett or Spätlese Riesling, Chenin Blanc or Gewürztraminer. Lambrusco is a sweeter, sparkling red wine. Sweeter red wines, by brand, include Ménage á Trois Red (12 g/L RS), Apothic Red (15 g/L RS), Cocobon Red Blend (12 g/L RS), Yellow Tail Shiraz (12 g/L RS) and Jam Jar (57 g/L RS).

So, don’t be fooled. “Fruity” wine traits don’t necessarily mean it’s a sweet wine. Cheers!