Besieged

Under a threatening sky, BESIEGED by rain clouds, lightening glinting in the hills, the winemaker worked alone to collect grapes destined for one of his debut wines. As he worked, the ravens cackled from above but instead of being harbingers of doom, they brought him good good fortune, becoming the totem for his winery.  The winery is Ravenswood.  And the wine.  It is Besieged.

I have to admit that the label caught my eye.  However, I do not buy wines solely on the label.  Many a bottle has stood on a shelf because I will not allow myself to be swayed by what is little more than marketing.  The one thing that led me to purchase a bottle of this wine was the blend ... Petite Sirah, Carignan, Zinfandel, Alicante Boushet, and Mourvedre.  I am a big fan of Petite Sirah, and have a great interest in both Carignan and Mourvedre.  But Alicante Boushet?  I had never heard of that varietal.  It was the prospect of having a wine made with a grape that I had never tasted.

The grape, Alicante Bouschet, is a hybrid, produced by crossing Petit Boushet and Grenache.  It was first cultivated by ... Henri Bouschet ... in 1866.  The result was a high quality grape that enticed French vineyards and winemakers throughout much of France, including Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Loire Valley, as well as by Portuguese vineyards in the Alentejo.  It is also a popular grape among winemakers and vineyards in California, including Joel Peterson of Ravenswood.

The Besieged pours a dark red to almost black. Something that echoes the colors of a raven's wings.  The aroma is full of fresh, ripe dark fruit, such as blackberries, black cherries and plums.  There is a slight spice or pepper in the background, but it struggles to make itself known amongst the fruit.

As for the taste, I have to say that I was truly impressed with this wine.  The elements include the fruit -- blackberry, black cherry, and plum.  The winemakers also suggest a rather peculiar spice ... cardamom.  And, I have to say, I actually picked up the cardamom in the wine.  It revealed itself for just a few moments before being wrapped in the dryness of the tannins in the wine. The finish is a little dry, but that is to be expected given the use of Zinfandel and Mourvedre.

When it comes to pairing, this wine is perfect for a grilled steak or other grilled meat, such as chicken or pork.  The fruit flavors, and the cardamom, contribute to the flavors of the grilled meat.  I paired this wine with my Green Fire Ribeye, which is a grilled steak with a rub made of green Hatch chile, coriander, cumin, onion powder and garlic powder.  Notwithstanding the use of chile powder, the wine still worked very well because the tannins are relatively tame.

I found this wine in a local grocery store.  A bottle runs from $14.99 to $16.99.

ENJOY!

La Mozza Aragone (2006)

Back in 2001, three individuals -- Lidia Bastianich, Joe Bastianich and Mario Batali -- founded La Mozza, a vineyard located in the Maremma region of Tuscany, Italy.  The vineyard, which has about 100 acres is near Scansano, southwest of Montalcino and just ten miles from the shores of the Tyhrrenian Sea.  This triumvirate of food and wine leaders choose the Maremma region because it sits outside of the DOC and DOCG regions in Italy.  (For more about DOC and DOCG, check out my review of the Frescobaldi Nipozzano Reserva.)  In Mario Batali's view, this location provides the vineyard to be more flexible and creative with the wines, particularly when it comes to incorporating grapes other than Sangiovese grapes.  La Mozza expresses that creativity by incorporating other Mediterranean grapes, such as Alicante, Petit Verdot and Syrah grapes.

La Mozza's Aragone is a blend of those Mediterranean grapes.  The exact breakdown of the grapes is 40% Sangiovese, 25% Alicante, 25% Syrah and 10% Carignan.  Indigenous yeasts are used during the fermentation process, which is followed by aging in tonneaux. 

The wine pours a nice cherry red.  There is a lot of fruit on the bouquet of the wine, such as cherries and raspberries and, maybe, a little plum.  Those fruit also are very prominent in the taste of the wine as you drink it. 

The name "Aragone" is a tribute to the Aragons of Spain, who, along with the Medici family of Florence, ruled over the Maremma region.  The label represents an aerial view of Fort Stella, a military fort built by the Aragons in the 15th century in Port Ercole.

This is one of the best Italian wines that I have had.  It is very drinkable, which means that before you know it you have gone through the glass and you are looking for the bottle to get a re-fill.  The wine sells for $40.00 per bottle.  This wine was available at VinoMatique in Berea, Ohio, but, unfortunately, it had to close its doors.  Once again, I will miss that wine store, but I am grateful for being able to purchase the wine from VinoMatique when I had the chance.

Moreover, only 1,200 cases of Aragone are produced per year. So, if you have been as fortunate as me to find this wine, buy it immediately.  You will not be disappointed!

ENJOY!

For more information, check out Mario Batali's website or Bastianich Winery.