Trione Block Twenty-One Cabernet Sauvignon 2009: Inky purple color; dark fruits on nose that presages power on the palate; loaded with red and black currant, ripe cherry, dark plum, clove, spice—especially on the finish; Continue reading “Trione Block Twenty-One Cabernet Sauvignon 2009”
Month: December 2015
New Year’s
Last week’s advice for Christmas was restraint—don’t go with high-dollar wine that will not be appreciated amid Christmas chaos and celebration.
New Year’s is different. Continue reading “New Year’s”
Château Roc de Ségur Bordeaux 2011
Château Roc de Ségur Bordeaux 2011: Dark ruby color; cherry, plum, wisp of vanilla on generous nose; plenty of ripe fruit, black cherry, plum, smoke, spice; Continue reading “Château Roc de Ségur Bordeaux 2011”
Sokol Blosser Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2011
Ruby color, translucence; cherry, bell pepper, strawberry nose; dark berries, cranberry, spice, plum, cassis, tobacco-oak on the palate; gritty tannins, good acidy, long finish. Continue reading “Sokol Blosser Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2011”
Orma Toscana 2009
Orma Toscana 2009: Inky purple color; cherry, leather nose; black cherry, blackberry, leather, tobacco, plum; chewy in the mouth, dusty-velverty tannins that significantly contribute to the overall presentation on the palate. Continue reading “Orma Toscana 2009”
Christmas
With Christmas two days hence, the good news is selecting wine for your family’s joyous holiday feast is not daunting task even at this late date. Continue reading “Christmas”
Ferrari Riserva Lunelli Trento DOC 2006
Ferrari Riserva Lunelli Trento DOC 2006: Deep golden yellow color; rich, varied aromas influenced by Austrian oak and seven years on yeasts/lees; richness and complexity of the nose carries to the palate; Continue reading “Ferrari Riserva Lunelli Trento DOC 2006”
Leese-Fitch Chardonnay 2014
Leese-Fitch Chardonnay 2014: Golden color; apples and citrus nose; green melon, citrus, apple, vanilla, hint of oak on the palate; Continue reading “Leese-Fitch Chardonnay 2014”
Franciscan Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Franciscan Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013: Inky dark garnet color; rich cherry-plum, some vanilla, leather on the nose; tangy dark cherry, ripe berries, restrained oak, mocha, spice on the palate; Continue reading “Franciscan Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013”
Nobilo Icon Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014
Ruby color; cherry, spice on the nose; cherry, mocha, raspberry, blackcurrant tang, suggestion of toasty oak on the palate; well-behaved, silky tannins; medium-full body.
Fresh, very clean with balance and some structure, pleasant finish; a real achievement for the price, but that is what you expect from New Zealand today. And Nobilo is one of the reasons you expect that from New Zealand today.
Nobilo’s story begins in 1936 as war clouds gathered and Nikola Nobilo immigrated from Croatia to New Zealand. In 1943, Nikola planted his first vines, drawing on more than three centuries of family wine making experience. Nikola was early advocate for premium varietals, pushing New Zealand wine makers to compete with the world. He also fought New Zealand’s bizarre booze laws that prohibited wine being served with meals in restaurants (the United States does not have a monopoly on idiocy when it comes to alcohol-related law).
In the 1970s, Nikola pushed New Zealand into focusing on sauvignon blanc and pinor noir and played a leadership role in developing Marlborough as a wine region. For his efforts, Nikola was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 1994.
David Edmonds maintains Nikola’s tradition today, using grapes from Marlborough, Hawkes Bay, Gisborne and other regions. Mega-wine company Constellation Brands owns Nibolo now, but regular readers know of my admiration of Constellation’s penchant for allowing acquisitions to continue to do what made them attractive to acquire in the first place. Very nice wine at remarkable price for pinot. $23
Nobilo Wines website
Second photo: Nikola Nobilo
