WINE GAMES!!!

yes, i just used capitals and screamed at everyone. i am nine days behind on posts and have a number of new wines with notes for the next several days, including a couple of overly oaked california chard's- at least that is my take on them.

saturday night we had the opportunity to play wine games. there are a couple of ways to do this, but it requires enough people to not waste much good wine. one approach is the vertical and that is how i usually do it. this time, i put together two known quantities and added a surprise to see if it could stand up to the challenge. the known wines were the exceptional caymus 2007 and the claire luce abbey 2006 which i recently reviewed; two wonderful california cab's, the caymus can be found for about $60 and is worth the expense for special occasions, particularly since it usually goes for about $70 per bottle. the meal began with fresh guacamole and red salsa. the entree was a grilled beef tenderloin marinated in red wine, worcestershire, olive oil, minced garlic and herbs. this was accompanied by rutabaga and onions sauteed in butter, and roasted asparagus with carrots and garlic. the sauce for the meat was mushroom duxelles made with shallots, butter, and port. dessert was a lemon tart with raspberries (all home made).

we began with the clare luce and followed with the caymus and these wines paired perfectly. then, we were left with the non-cab ringer. i had previously had this wine with a similar meal for easter and i have had prior vintages. this was chosen for a reason.

this wine is dark and smokey. the nose is smoked game and black fruit. when i first tasted this vintage i was bowled over by the flavors of smoked bacon followed by black berries and herbs. the finish was pure berry and the tannin and acid were perfectly balanced. the wine tasted young, and stood up to my 24 hour test as well as decanting both of which soften it and bring out the fruit character. there is a hint of pepper throughout. it is a 2004, and its character is much "tighter" than its older 2003 sibling; i cannot wait for the 2005.

this wine more than stood up to the meal and the two big california cab's which preceded it. the dramatic change of character it introduced provided part of the wonder of the wine.

this is "famille ligneres 2004 las vals. this is an exceptional example of a mourvedre based wine. this varietal is typically a bit player in blends, in this case it is the primary grape. earlier vintages have been done entirely from this grape although this vintage contains a small amount of syrah. i think this is a spectacular wine for those who like "big" red wines and has the potential to drink now or to age for several years.

the producer's web site is: http://www.familleligneres.com/lasvals.html and the vinification details follow, as from the site.

Grape varieties Mourvèdre 95%, Syrah 5%.
Wine Type Barrel aged red
Apellation Vin de Pays de Hauterive (Montagne d'Alaric)
Vintage 2004
Total production 2004 6.600 bottles (1,100 six-pack cases)

Terroir High on the local slopes, details at the web site
Yields Mourvèdre 22 hectoliters/hectare, Syrah 20 hectoliters/hectare

Fermenting tanks Stainless steel
Fermentation/maceration 27 days
Barrel aging Yes, 100 % new oak (Taransaud, Darnajou)
Ageing specifics 16 months, stirring the lees weekly by turning the barrels
Alcohol 14.5% by vol.

this is a wonderful wine at an exceptional price in the pennsylvania state stores, as it is under $15. the prior vintages have been priced at $25 to $30. i would strongly recommend this wine for those who like big red wines. it has substance when drunk now and will soften with a little time. this has something for everyone. it absolutely stood up to an intense meal and to the prior two wines. even the lemon and raspberry tart at the end did not overwhelm it.