Kimmel Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 (California)

What a fabulous Cabernet!

Dark ruby color with a garnet edge. Complex nose of sandalwood, cedar, cassis, black cherry, dark chocolate and a touch of spice.

On the palate, it is extremely rich and mouth-coating and has a long finish of concentrated fruit, smooth, like velvet on your tongue with medium tannins. This wine is remarkable in how it continues to evolve in the glass over the course of a meal enticing you to drink more, and I did!

For more information on Kimmel Vineyards visit their website at

http://kimmelvineyards.com/

 

Kimmel Cabernet Franc 2010 (California)

Father of Cabernet Sauvignon perhaps Mother....

As Janice Robinson said "I can see that Cabernet Franc might be described as the feminine side of  Cabernet Sauvignon. It is subtly fragrant and gently flirtatious rather than massively muscular and tough in youth.

Being a huge fan of Kimmel Wines I was excited to get a bottle of their Cabernet Franc. Wow..what an amazing wine! Kimmel has done it again!

In the glass this wine is rich indigo with dark amethyst hues. Aroma wafts from the bottle upon un-corking, violet, ripe black cherry and spiced plum. Silky tannins caress the palate with big fruit, luscious blackberry, baked cranberry, ripe wild berries, bits of dark chocolate and a touch of spice. The finish is long, supple and lands softly with hints of gentle raspberry. This is an elegant sexy wine to be enjoyed young or cellar and enjoy later. We enjoyed ever last drop in the bottle and wished we had another.

I served this wine with baked dill salmon, vegetable medley cous cous and roasted butternut squash...perfect pairing!

For more information on Kimmel Wines, go to their website http://kimmelvineyards.com/

Chateau St Jean 2010 Fume Blanc

First and foremost what is Fume Blanc?

Fume Blanc is a quality white wine made from Sauvignon Blanc grape in California. It began as the brainchild of renowned winemaker Robert Mondavi, as a way of cultivating the negative image held by the Sauvignon Blanc grape in California at the time. Not anymore of course but at one time..I know..I know hard to believe!

So I decided to try something different and purchased this bottle for $15 and some change at a local wine shop. I was not sure what to expect and really it was not half bad.

This wine has a terrific nose of kumquat oranges and melon with a very light hint of dried herbs. The flavors change across the taste buds first starting with lemon zest, a touch of lime and Bradford pear notes, developing into melon notes and finishing with a terrific fresh fig flavor, perhaps a bit of grass. Sort of reminded me of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc which always seems to have grassy notes. The oak comes through in a subtle smokiness with a touch of fig flavors. This wine would work well with menus of chicken or pork in a creamy mushroom sauce or butter sauteed sea foods.