Apollonio Primitivo 2011

I recently had a disagreement with someone about Zinfandel and Primitivo being the same grape. It wasn’t much of an argument since his only response to any proof I presented that they weren’t the same was “Yes they are” and eventually I just gave up and bowed to his obviously “superior” knowledge. It did cause me to try and research the topic and what I found were a lot of conflicting facts. Some people claimed they were the same, others that they weren’t identical, but clones of the Croation grape Crljenak. The latter theory is the one I agree the most with since while the Zinfandels and Primitivos I’ve had are similar in some ways, I’ve also found them to be quite different in others. In my opinion Primitivos tend to display spicier, earthier notes with red fruit flavors whereas Zinfandels are smoother with notes of darker fruits.

I personally tend to prefer Primitivos because I find them to be more complex and interesting. Kye is probably sick of me bringing them home, but the ones that I do I can’t seem to stop buying. My favorite by far has been the 2011 Apollonio Primitivo from the Salice Salentino DOC in Apulia/Puglia, the heel of Italy. Aged for 12 months in American oak and cherry-wood barriques, which comes through on the palate. It’s full-bodied and rich with notes of stewed blueberries, figs and plums. There’s hints of clove and anise on the finish followed by a slight acidity and smooth tannins.

It’s been one of my favorite finds this year and reminded me how much I love Italian wines.

Vigilance Petite Sirah 2011

Petite Sirah (aka: Durif) was one of the first red varietals I really and truly enjoyed. Michael David’s Petite Petit was probably the first wine that opened my eyes to Petite Sirah (and yes, I bought it because I thought the label was utterly adorable). It was definitely one of the better wines tucked away in the rather pathetic excuse for a wine room at the liquor store where I was working at the time. I wish I could say that after that I fell head over heels for the complexity, uniqueness and blah blah blah that this wine displayed, but sadly no (it would’ve been such a good excuse for what followed). I definitely enjoyed the majority of wines I had from that varietal afterwards, but my overall obsession with it didn’t start until after an adorable toy Australian Shepherd came into my life.

I’d originally wanted to name her Rogue after my favorite X-Men character, but Sarah Palin’s book (‘Going Rogue’) had just come out so after hastily scrambling to come up with a new name, I settled on Petite Sirah. At the time I had no idea that she was a toy so it wasn’t until later that I realized how fitting a name it was. She is the world to me and despite sometimes feeling like a pretentious (but clever!) bastard whenever I have to explain or pronounce her name for people, I still love it. I have a Petite Sirah who is literally petite… it is ridiculous how happy that makes me.

Vigilance is from the Red Hills AVA located at the base of Mount Konocti in California. It is 100% Petite Sirah with a vibrant ruby color and aromas of blackberry, vanilla and cedar. Medium-bodied and smooth on the palate with fruit flavors of dark cherry, blueberry and plum nicely balanced with notes of vanilla, clove and white pepper. Finishes with some slightly earthy notes and low tannins, definitely had more finesse than I’ve come to expect from California Petite Sirah.

PS is a grape that I enjoy rather immensely and love introducing to people for the first time. Vigilance is one of the more unique wines I've had of this varietal and it’s one I highly recommend. It is available at Whole Foods Market Vineyard in San Antonio.

Wine Five #1

About a month ago John and I randomly decided that making a video series where we drink and talk about wine (but mostly drink) would be ridiculous amounts of fun. That is how the first (and hopefully not last!) Wine Five came into creation. 

For the record we made this around 2am after several glasses of wine. The original cut was much longer and a ton more ridiculous.

Dashe Les Enfants Terribles Zinfandel 2011, Heart Arrow Ranch

I hate reality TV, it is awful and I think that it’s a shining example of how awful this world can be. I actually avoid my parents' place on certain nights because I know I’ll be subjected to that sort of crap if I’m there. The times that I can’t avoid it though I bring wine and Dashe Les Enfants Terribles Zinfandel is what I had this past Monday when I knew the Bachelorette was unavoidable and it was perfect for the occasion. I hadn’t had a Zinfandel in quite some time and this one made me regret that. It also made me rethink my meh-ness towards wine from California.

From the back label:

“Our Les Enfants Terribles (“the Wild Children”) series of wines are made from vineyards that we feel can make distinctive, terrior-driven wines. Fermented on native yeasts, with minimal oak influence and low levels of sulfites, these wines show beautiful fruit undisturbed by unnecessary processing. The essence of the vineyard shines through the resulting wine. This rebel has a cause – we hope you’ll like it.”

It was a really subtle wine for its type, just 13.5% which is pretty restrained for a Californian Zinfandel. I haven’t had many old world Zins, but this wine reminded me more of the few that I’ve had than any of the Californian ones. I’m not trying to bash California here, I do enjoy many wines from there (and all over North America), I just don’t think that they exhibit the same balance and finesse that old world wines do (I could really go off on a tangent there, but I’m going to stop myself because that’s not what this post is about).  There was a distinct earthiness along with the wild strawberry, baked raspberry and dried lavender notes. A hint of spice and round tannins led to a long-ish finish, overall it was really gorgeous.

Celler Piñol Portal Blanco 2011 and 2012

I randomly decided to buy two different vintages (with two different varietal blends) of the same wine from Terra Alta in Catalunya's Tarragona province located in northeastern Spain. Mainly I was curious to see how the two differed, if at all, thought it would be a fun experiment.

2011: 70% Garnacha Blanca, 20% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Viognier and 5% Macabeo
-Stone fruit flavors (grapefruit, white peach and nectarine) and lemon zest with hints of wet limestone, jasmine, and chamomile. Medium acidity and a tinge of oiliness lead to a medium finish. Very crisp and refreshing, will be awesome for those miserable summer days that are coming our way.

2012: According to the label it’s 100% Garnacha Blanca, but their website has the blend as 85% Garnacha Blanca, 5% Sauv Blanc, 5% Viognier and 5% Macabeo, so we’re just going to assume that the website is right (and after tasting it I’m even more convinced that it’s not 100%)
 -Apricot, white peach, orange peel and lime followed by hints of fresh herbs, candied ginger, beeswax and wet grass. Medium-plus acidity leads into a crisp and slightly bitter finish. Definitely has more complexity than the ’11, but not quite as balanced.

In conclusion: both vintages were crisp and refreshing, perfect for summer. Between the two the ’11 was definitely more balanced, and though not quite as interesting as ’12, would probably be the more appealing palate-wise of the two. Really wish the ’12 had been 100% Garnacha Blanca, but that’s what I get for not researching these sorts of things before buying, oh well.