By: Ryan Tedder
One of our favorite members stopped by earlier this week and collectively blew our minds! We were having another crazy cool Graileys night of bold reds or character from around the world. These two pairs of wine were really fascinating.
1989 Heitz Martha’s Vineyard Cab – The telltale eucalyptus, mint and savory herb/spice led this powerful wine right from the start. The wine was still brooding and complex with loads of dried flowers and brush, tobacco, cedar, cassis, and black cherry. This is a grand cru of Napa and the wines age like champs.
It was really cool to try the Heitz next to the 2009 Favia Cerro Sur Cabernet Franc Blend. The wines of Favia and Andy Erickson are never for the faint of heart as they are loaded with saturated fruit and oak flavors while maintaining balance and depth. The 2009 has really blossomed in the last 6 months. The tobacco was here as well but it was more cigar wrapper and there was more toasted oak chocolate, espresso, caramel flavors to balance the blackberry, blueberry and black cherry pie fruit flavors with a beautiful velvety tannin structure. Really beautiful to drink right now.
Next up we went down under and popped a bottle of 1993 Penfold’s Grange. 1993 is not the greatest of vintages for this legendary wine but that is not to say that the wine was not fantastic on its own merit. The level of crushed raspberry, black pepper, savory beef, chocolately coconut husk oak, menthol and red licorice was delish. The finish was nearly a minute long and the wine was elegant and finesse driven-beautiful, spry Grange.
The start of the night to me (and several others) was the 2006 Torbreck The Laird Shiraz. This was the best Australian wine I have ever tasted. It was melted black and purple fruit with the best oak I can remember tasting. Apparently it comes from trees dating back 2500 years! Our member had to call and confirm with the winery-it was quite an experience! Fudge, coffee bean, mexican vanilla bean, blackberry and huckleberry oozed out of the glass. the texture and class of this wine are hard to argue with. A definite Grange killer!!