Clean, fresh, linear, and dry with a persistent mousse, this Champagne is more mineral driven with subtle notes of pear and toast through the lingering finish. We often consume this with shellfish but this week, we had it on our table for our Sunday brunch of charcuterie, omelet, and pastries. This wine was purchased at Spec's, it is not showing online but I have purchased it both at the Midtown and Sugar Land stores.
Cantele Primitivo 2016 - This spicy red was chosen for pizza night. It comes from the Salento area of Puglia and is 100% Primitivo grown on limestone soils. The wine is fermented and partially aged in stainless steel but also spends 6 months aging in used oak barrique.
This wine is dry, medium body, with soft tannins and good acidity. It has spicy red cherry aromas and flavors with a medium length. Easy drinking and perfect for a casual meal. We picked up a couple of pizzas from Coppa Osteria and settled in for a night of Netflix. This wine was purchased for $17 at Vinology Bottle Shop and Wine Bar.
William Chris Pétillant Naturel Rosé 2019 - I have been participating in the #TXWIne Twitter talks every Tuesday since the Stay-Home began and Texas rosé was the theme this week. I have been doing most of my grocery shopping through curbside pickup but I went into Whole Food to get a few items and saw this bottle there at that time and decided to purchase it for that night.
When dinner was almost ready, I put out the glasses and gently popped the crown cap. An explosion of pink ensued filling my kitchen with strawberry aromas. I lost a little over a third of the bottle despite having the glasses ready, it was just that effusive. In the glass, the wine is a cloudy salmon pink with flavors of underripe strawberry and grapefruit with a hint of a sour beer note. Very pleasant and easy drinking, the bottle was finished quickly. I served it with grilled chicken but think it would be better with grilled sausage or charcuterie. $25 at both Whole Food and the winery's website. After discussing cancelled travel plans abroad, we started discussing returning to some favorite wine locales when we are able to freely move about again. That led me to opening these two bottles from Chateau Montelena. My husband and I re-visited Napa in 2015 after helping our daughter move to grad school in southern California. You can read about that visit here.
I served these with grilled New York strips, garlic mashed potatoes, and roasted carrots. We started with the 2015 which disappeared quickly and the family wanted more. I decided to open the 2013 next so everyone could compare. I believe both were priced around $55 when purchased. The winery is not currently offering these vintages except in the vertical package but there are some available on Wine-Searcher.
Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 - Dry, full bodied and generous from a vintage that was known for exceptional fruit with lower yields, this wine is rich and intense with red currant, blackberry, licorice, and hints of spice with soft ripe tannins, fresh acidity, and a lengthy mineral-laced finish. A beautiful and very drinkable wine. Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 - From a year that has been called "epic' for being so even and consistent throughout the growing season, This wine was far less giving upon opening than the previous and seems to be going through a more closed period as some wines do. After a few hours of being opened, it, too showed beautifully with a similar depth of flavor though with a slightly bigger structure and with a bit more savory notes developing. I was sorry that I hadn't thought to open it earlier and give it time in a decanter, I will be more inclined to drink the 2015s now and to continue holding my 2013s a bit longer to see what the future holds.
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