Wine Each Week – 2017 Bela

Tempranillo isn’t new. The earliest “official” mention of it is from 1807, but it’s believed that Tempranillo was introduced to the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) by the Phoenicians 3,000 years ago. Either way, everyone benefits from the 2017 Bela. This is 100% Tempranillo (AKA Tinta del Pais) and offers soft notes of blackberry, plum and blueberry, light floral notes, a hint of smokiness and light pepper. This is a very subdued wine, one that does not clobber you over the head with aggressive fruit. There’s a beautiful balance encompassing fruit, wood, tannic structure and acidity, which creates a very enjoyable wine. What makes this wine endearing is that it doesn’t stand out. That may seem like the wrong approach because people want a wine that has big fruit and huge oak, but what Bela provides is exactly what a wine should provide - a compliment for the foods at your dinner table - a wine that works well with others. This is that wine. The price for the quality is excellent.

ORIGIN: Ribera del Duero, Spain

ALCOHOL: 14%

PRICE: $19 (750ML)

SCORE: 91 POINTS

Red, White and Chews – HalloWine Candy

Wine and chocolate is decidedly not my favorite combination, let’s be honest. Potent sweet rarely goes with wine, (and I’m not talking sweet wines) but some combinations of wine and candy do work pretty well (for my spirits and candy pairing for The Hollywood Reporter, go HERE). So…a few ideas this All Hollow’s Eve.

From Carneros come the 2013 Educated Guess Chardonnay (a mere $17) which takes as its dancing partner the Butterfinger, originally created in 1923 and intended to be a peanut butter concoction, though that is all but lost these days. Nonetheless the chocolate on the Butterfinger is of little concern as the majority of flavor comes from the flaky Butterfinger center with its sweet caramelized toffee
 

M&Ms are obviously artificially sweet, though nonetheless addictive and the 2014 Old Vines Sorbo a Sorbo Garnacha (Grenache, a mere $12) from Spain already with a bright acidity, menthol, cedar and blackberry allows the overt sweetness of the M&Ms to become mitigated and it softens the wine, dropping out the acidity so it feels more seamless while the chocolate loses it’s fundamental sweetness.

The best idea is to experiment with whatever candy and wine you’ve got on hand, or, as I suggest, try a few new things, either way, life is predicated on being creative!

The Weird Grape from the Odd Country

Uruguay is the second smallest nation in South America with a population of
3.5 million people - that’s smaller than Los Angeles. This tiny place exports mostly beef, dairy products, and wool but the country is also South America’s fourth largest wine producer. Really? Uh, yeah, really. There are about 240 wineries in the country, but only a handful that make enough wines to export and Bodegas Garzón is one of them. Their property includes over 500 acres of vineyard, olives and other crops. All this leads to what is the signature wine from Uruguay, Tannat. Come again? In the early1870s Tannat arrives in Uruguay from France, near the Spanish border region, is planted, and really does well in this specific climate. Who knew?

Bodega Garzon vineyards at sunset

Dark and brooding, the 2012 Bodegas Garzón Tannat lacks typical bright fruit, but has medium tannins, dark blackberry, plum and pomegranate flavors and cries out for game and roasted meats. There is a semblance of roughness at the finish to this wine, an almost earthy rustic quality, but that’s just kinda what Tannat does, regardless of how much oak you slap on it. It’s like a wine that never went to finishing school – and that’s the cool thing about this strapping grape – it is imperfect and drinks that way. And Uruguay does Tannat well. You will be seeing this variety appearing more and more in the near future. Sure, there are some California producers trying their hand at it, but that is a hit-and-miss proposition because very few American vintners have much history with it. Best to find a quality producer who’s been at it for a while, like Bodega Garzón, otherwise a poorly-made Tannat will turn you off, and that would be a bummer – trust me, I’ve had my share of creepy versions. At its best Tannat deserves a place in your wine rotation, and this baby will win you over. BODEGA GARZON

ORIGIN: Garzon, Uruguay

PRICE: $19.99 - 750/ml

ALCOHOL: 13.8%

BOOZEHOUNDZ SCORE:  89 POINTS