Kimmel 2012 Redessence Red Blend (California)

Kimmel Redessence was a highly anticipated red blend. If you are a red wine lover, especially red blend this is a must try! The wine is 85% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec, 2% Petite Verdot

In appearance, the Kimmel Redessence is a dark onyx garnet purple color in the glass. Little light shown through the wine.  The wine was quite leggy with lots of slow moving, skinny legs inside the glass.

The wine opens with a fragrant burst of blackberry and red currant bouquet with just a hint of anise. On the palate, this wine is a fruit forward bomb. The flavor of blackberry, spiced cherry, ripe blueberry coat your palate with a savory port like finish, a medium bodied, very nicely balanced, and smooth red blend.

This is a red wine that any red wine lover would really enjoy, great served with a meal or simply all on it's own.

Visit Kimmel Vineyards at http://www.kimmelvineyards.com/

Bodega Chakana Estate Selection Malbec 2010 (Argentina)

This wine hails from the Mendoza region of Argentina, where some of the best Argentine wines come from.
100% Malbec, aged in new and 1 year old French oak Barrels for 18 months.

In the glass this wine is very dark purple, almost black. Not unlike most Malbec wines. Floral nose with hints of violets and white pepper. On the palate prominent vanilla oak, black cherry, liquorice, redcurrant and violet perfume. A powerful wine with remarkably good integration of judicious oak and dark cherry fruit. Very juicy and lifted by acidity, this shows a classic New World style.
 
It's seems you either are or are not a Malbec fan, either way you will remember this wine.

 

Chakana winery was founded by Juan Pelizzatti on May 2nd, 2002. Juan was driven to enter the wine industry first and foremost by his passion for wine, and also by the desire to invest his time and money on a product of agriculture. Although Juan did not know it at the time, the company was founded on the same day the Chakana was celebrated on the Andes highlands: on that same day, the Southern Cross (the Chakana for the Inca people) becomes vertical in the night Andean sky.

L de Lyeth Merlot (California)

A Merlot with good enough character, elegance and balance for the price; honestly I did not expect to find such elevated qualities in this wine. It has definitely aged well, but at its peak, right now!
Proof of that is its brownish color and mature fruity taste, but showing an acceptable balance in terms of its bold and approachable tannins, acidity and its not-to-high alcohol level, with a nice oaky and lengthy aftertaste. A good effort here, for a below $10 bottle of wine from CA, after about 5 years of age; that proves how a great vintage the 2007 was, particularly in California.

Milat 2009 Zinfandel (California)

This Wine hails from St. Helena California in Napa County, a mecca of amazing wineries. Milat Vineyards is a family-owned and operated winery, situated on 20 acres of estate vineyard just south of St. Helena in the Napa Valley.

Ageing was in 80% American oak and 20% French barrels(20% new) 100% Zinfandel, 15.4% alcohol.

I had this wine at a Christmas Party. I love to see what other wine lovers drink and the Doc had quite a bit of Milat Zinfandel, it was her favorite Zinfandel.

Garnet red in the glass, I just love a dark red wine. The nose was rich with hints of spice, pepper and oak. The palate was fruit forward, dark cherry with intense blackberry spice mid palate and finishes smooth, slightly tannic. This wine would cellar well for a few years. Pairs well with grilled meats, Italian dishes or drinks well alone.

Domaine Lafond Rhone Roc Epine Lirac Rouge 2009 (France)

This wine hales from the Rhone region in France so for all you French Wine lovers I am sure you know about this region.

Funny story when we purchased this wine, we intended to get the Chardonnay but mistakenly grabbed this bottle instead but we were pleasantly surprised nonetheless.
 
This slightly opaque and dark ruby colored red blend of 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 5%, Carignan & 5%, Mourvedre
Opens with a strawberry licorice and mild oak bouquet. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, very nicely balanced, and smooth. The flavor profile is a very tasty black currant and mild oak blend with hints of boysenberry. The finish is dry and its moderate dusty tannins linger for quite some time. 

The Lafond family dates it's history back to 1780 when a forefather of the owner today settled in Tavel as a winegrower.
In 1948 Jean-Pierre Lafond’s grandfather, Valery Taulier, built the first private cellar in Tavel. In 1978 Pascal joined his father at the estate and they started to bottle wine with their own label. The name Roc-Epine is the name of a famous race horse. The grandfather of Pascal had a great interest in horse racing.
Domaine Lafond is mainly producing Tavel and Lirac from a total of 85 ha. by which 39 ha Tavel, 24 ha Cotes du Rhone, 18,5 ha Lirac and 3,6 ha. Chateauneuf du Pape.

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/