The Iso Tank Blog » Wine & Dine

2007 Evodia "Old Vine" Garnacha

Alana — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:08:43 +0000

They say not to judge a book by it’s cover, but Evodia’s wine label is certainly one to hang onto! It’s unequivocally beautiful.

If you tend to gravitate towards one of the big three reds (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir) I would recommend this wine as the one you branch out with.

This Garnacha from the village of Atea, Spain, is hands-down my favorite Garnacha under $10, and without effort rivals those in higher price ranges. Spicy red & dark berry flavors mixed with cracked pepper gives this wine an intensely wonderful aroma (raspberry, blackberry & wild cherry). Appropriately so, “Evodia” is the Greek word for “aroma”.

The Grenache grape, made most popular by the Rhone wine region of Fance, is believed to have originated in Spain, where it is referred to as Garnacha. Typically, the grape is used to fill-out other red blends, such as Syrah, but Evodia is a 100% varietal, grown on “old vines”.

“Old Vines” is a term used to describe grape-producing vines ranging from 25-40+ years old, and are considered to produce a higher quality of fruit than younger vines.

The following was taken from the Review Journal:

Vineyard: 100% old vine Garnacha comes from high altitude vineyards (2400-3000ft) in the villiage of Atea, Spai

In the glass: Evodia is a deep crimson-red color with purplish streaks, a purple to pink rim with medium-high viscosity.

On the nose: The wine is full of pure extracted crushed peppery black fruit, ripe blueberries, boysenberry sauce and spicy vanilla extract from oak, then notes of new American oak by itself, soft jammy berry components and a touch of smoke, licorice root and earthy minerals underlying.

On the palate: Evodia is big and spicy, then juicy in the mouth with nicely complex, concentrated chewy blackberry fruit, licorice root, crushed brambleberries, pepper-laced minerals, and then soft, almost chewy, tannins going into a superbly balanced midpalate that is smooth around the mouth, although retains a sense of freshness from the relatively forward acidity. The deep fruity finish has a nice mouth-feel that lasts for 20-plus seconds, and shows why wines made from Old Vines are profound to taste, from a concentration point of view.

Odds and ends: Although garnacha is a grape varietal that is native to the Rhone Valley in France where it is called grenache, it has been in Spain for centuries. In many cases, the vines from which the fruit for this wine was made are as much as 100 years old. In addition, the dry-farmed vineyards are high up in the foothills of this mountainous region of Spain in pure slate soil. The wine’s name is the Greek word for “aroma” and there’s plenty of that in this hit-in-the-making for less than $10. Drink it now through 2011, and try it with a grilled piece of flank steak, sliced and medium-rare served with salsa

What are you waiting for! Head out this week and pickup a bottle to try it out for yourself. I assure you won’t be disappointed.

iPhone Wine App: WineSnob

Alana — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:36:51 +0000

There are many things in life I’m infatuated with — Working out, healthy eating, laughing, enjoying friends & family, Federal Hill Italian restaurants, vacations, graphic design, film – The list is lengthy. So for today’s purpose let’s stay on one road, and focus on just two in the collection: My iPhone and Wine.

I often keep track of wine on-the-go to remember the varietal, year, region, and price for a later date. It’s not always easy to jot this information down on a napkin, especially when at an upscale restaurant, nor is it appealing to those around you. He hem. Solution: Since I always have my iPhone on me what better way than to use it for this?! I’m getting excited already. Thanks to some great iPhone wine applications this becomes an easy task.

So how do you know which one to download? It can be tough. But after trying out a few, I recommend WineSnob. To date it’s served me well. Here’s a bit about it. Enjoy!

WineSnob

- Your free WineSnob account syncs your data with their servers for ensured backup
- Save pictures of labels or bottles with each entry
- Tag tasting keywords for convenient recall
- Search for wines by name or tasting tag
- Enter very detailed notes on wines tasted
- View home page stats on average price, average rating, and number of wines you have tasted
- Have quick access to your last recorded wine
- Lookup varietal and pairing info in the updated guides
- Browse wines by name, type, price, varietal, region

Happy Wine Documenting!

Cantina Zaccagnini 2005 Montepulciano

Alana — Fri, 29 May 2009 14:35:31 +0000

The first thing that drew me to this wine was it’s unique appearance; a twig from a grape vine is tied around the neck of the bottle by a strand of raffia. How original! I love it. At about $15-$16 a bottle this wine from the Abruzzo region of Italy (Pescara Province; Villiage of Bolognano) is a great buy. It has intense aromas of plums and blackberries, with subtle hints of vanilla and black pepper.Mmm. I’m going to pickup a bottle this evening; after talking about it I’m starting to crave it! Sit back and enjoy.

Visit the Cantina Zaccagnini Website

Type: Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC
Alcohol content: 12,5%
Grape variety: Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 100%
Average annual production: 95,000 750 ml bottles
Geographic location of the vineyard: Municipality of
Catignano, Varano district – east-facing
Type of land: Medium texture
Training system: Pergola
Yield (grapes per hectare): 120 quintals
Harvest: Manual, following ripening curves
Fermentation: Gentle grape pressing, submerged-cap
maceration with controlled temperature maceration
and first racking when set parameters are reached
Ageing and Evolution: Before bottling, in steel, then
about 4 months in Slavonic oak barrels, followed by
bottle evolution
Sensorial Features: Intense ruby red colour with violet nuances; intense, characteristic bouquet of the primary grape aromas; fruity component, full-bodied and robust, well-balanced with tannin and oak features
Bottle Lifespan: On sale 2 years after harvest; bottle evolution for 3 or more years
Serving temperature: 16/18°C

Willamette Valley 2007 Whole Cluster Pinot Noir

Alana — Mon, 18 May 2009 02:07:45 +0000

I’m never disappointed with this wine! I came across it last summer and it’s quickly become one of my favorites. From Willamette Valley in Oregon, this Whole Cluster Pinot Noir has amazing cherry, wild strawberry & warm spice aromas.

The 2007 varietal was harvested between September 27, 2007 and October 9, 2007 and fermented in stainless steel barrels. 18,000 cases were bottled between December 2007 and January 2008, and released that same month.

Average Price:
$20

Peak Drinkability:
2008-2010

Pairing / General Information:
Turkey, grilled fish, lighter wild foul, pasta dishes, hamburgers and pizza (brick oven pizza especially!). Serve at a slightly lower-than-room temperature or moderately chilled on warmer days.

Winemaking Notes:
“The fruit is gently conveyed into the top manway of stainless steel fermenters which have been sparged with CO2 gas. The whole clusters of fruit are sprayed with yeast, then dropped gently into the tank. The tanks are heated to 85 degrees F and sealed tightly to contain the carbonic atmosphere. The fermentation is allowed to go 14-21 days and pressing takes place when the fruit character is ideal and tannin levels from the stems are not yet expressed. After pressing, fermentation is completed over a 7-10 day period in stainless steel tanks. PH is monitored closely as malolactic fermentation commences until the desired balance is achieved.”