The nice folks at Virtuoso Wine & Spirits are one of our three distributors that we work closely with on a weekly basis. Just this week, Xavier brought by a few wines for us to try. I think this is one of the most informative parts of our week – trying wines we would not have otherwise known. Its interesting to think, our concept here is much different than the typical wine bar or restaurant, so purchasing wines is a challenge. We want each flight to be a fair comparison of a Texas wine next to the same varietal or traditional blend from another region in the New World, and the Old World. Some of the interesting wines being made in Texas, which are delicious, are interesting blends, and not traditional. So we can’t easily source a good example of New World and Old World for the flight. And the opposite is true. For example, Pinot Noir is still a very popular wine, but we can’t grow good Pinot Noir in our great state, so I can’t have a Pinot flight. Its also very common for a wine maker to make a wine that’s, say, labeled as Cabernet Sauvignon, but it actually can have up to 15% of other grapes in the bottle without the varietals being noted. So when I create a flight for Cabernet Sauvignon, I want to know that it is 100% Cab Sauv, so it’s a fair comparison. Of the wines four that Xavier had on hand for us this week, there were three that could be a part of a flight for us in the future, and one that is a blend we won’t likely find made in Texas. Fantino Rosso Dei Dardi 2016 was a flavorful, smooth wine from Peidmont, Italy. It’s made in stainless tanks, and not barrels, so the grapes could truly shine and revealed ripe flavors with full tannins. But, at 90% Nebbiolo, 5% Fressia and 5% Dolcetto, its not likely to be a flight you’ll see with us. So, moving on those possibilities for the future. Saint Cosme Cote du Rhone 2017 was very good, with jammy dark fruits and baking spices. This wine is made in cement tanks and rated 90 points by James Suckling. While it’s labeled Cote du Rhone, its 100% Syrah, so would be seen on a Syrah flight in the future, as opposed to our current Cote du Rhone flight (which features blends with Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre). And finally, my husband’s favorite of the day, Darms Lane Fortune “1621” Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 from Napa Valley. The bottling is labeled Cab Sauv because it has 85%, but there is an additional 10% of Merlot and 5% of Petite Verdot and Cabernet Franc. This is a perfect example of what I noted just a moment ago – I wouldn’t want to put this wine on a flight with the other two wines being 100% Cab Sauv. But, all four grapes represented in this bottle are Bordeaux grapes, so perhaps this wine should replace our current New World wine on our Bordeaux flight in the future. If you’re a Cab and Bordeaux fan, as us about it next time you’re in!
