Nathan gave me this bottle as a gift and is much more qualified to give background information on the RdV Vineyard. This is a very impressive wine. Only the “very” part is attributable to the fact that it’s from Virginia – it would be impressive regardless. I’m writing now after having the bottle open for about an hour. Early going, it exhibited some nice mossy notes that I usually associate with some better French wines. Now as I taste it a nice tannic, melted strawberry ice cream note hits the front of the tongue. That’s a very specific flavor, but accurate. Strawberries, cherries, and flint on the nose. The tannin shores up any fruitiness and marries it well with a faint grassiness that goes well with the red fruits and faint leather, vanilla, and anise flavors. I might have liked a bit more body, perhaps more emphasis on the leather or raisiny chewiness, but this is a lovely, elegant wine that shows its distant French roots. Count me a skeptic on Virginia wine, but not if it’s labeled RdV.
- Rating: Impressive
- Name: Rendezvous 2010
- Winery: RdV Vineyards
- Region: Middleburg, Virginia
- Country: USA
- Varietals: Bordeaux blend composing of Merlot 44%, Cabernet Sauvignon 24%, Petit Verdot 20%, Cabernet Franc 12%
- Price: $85
- Where to Buy: You can purchase this wine directly from RdV Vineyards
Sheridan and I shared this the afternoon that we crushed the first vintage of our “estate” Barbera, proudly grown in Kensington, MD – more on that in a later post.
A nice bubbly dry cracker nose and straw color kicks off this brut. Rich grassiness and fresh baked pie crust with a faint hit of butter. On the back end there’s some light white pepper and a bit of mineral. None of this sounds unique, but perhaps I’m failing in the review because the moment you try this one you know you have something special. Elegant, sleek, and well-balanced. Like a few wines I’ve had, it’s actually more interesting when colder and gets less complex as it warms up. I know it isn’t supposed to be that way, but . . . I picked this one up at Chambers Street Wines in TriBeCa, NY on the suggestion of their Spain wine guru, Ariana.
Aged in French Oak for 17 months, Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Tempranillo. I was intrigued by this one in the wine store and had to try it. Ronda, the alleged birthplace of bullfighting and final holdout for the Reconquista, is an oft-overlooked gem of a town not far from Malaga and the better-known towns that sit on the coast. It’s lovely and I’ve had fantastic meals there. It was a good choice. This is a nice, mid-concentrated red offering that I liked quite a bit. Nice garnet color with some juicy plum, vanilla, and cherry mixed with nice leathery spice notes. A light hit of tannin on the back end draws up the finish and keeps it structured and not a juice bomb. I picked this one up on a recommendation at Goñi Ardoteka in San Sebastian for around 18 Euros. Wine Searcher suggests it’s not even easy to find in Spain. So, yes, that’s not helpful, but it does put this one in the category of potential import.
A delightful, light, acidic, and slightly fizzy bottle of white from the hills of the Basque lands. I was first introduced to this by a friend’s father at Taberna Alabardero, who related his childhood memories of visiting family in the area and having Txakolina with bonito (somewhat resembling tuna). As he explained, the light acidity is the perfect paring with firm tuna-like fish. I also found the exact same bottle in San Sebastian, as well as at Sherry’s in Woodley Park for about $18.
Had this wine with chuleta (steak) at Bar Nestor in San Sebastian, Spain. The second time. This is the reason I now understand the difference in term usage between “powerful” or “strong” in English wine lingo, versus “fuerte” in Spanish wine terminology. I had heard fuerte used to describe several wines in the past and was never completely convinced that the person knew what they were talking about. This wine’s excessive tannin is what they were referring to. It had a nice cherry, dark fruit front end that had a silkiness that made it worth drinking, but it finished with so much tannin as to feel like you had a piece of tree bark in the mouth. Not what I was looking for and does not bode well for future tastings from the Cigales DO.
Had this wine with my birthday chuleta (steak) at Bar Nestor in San Sebastian, Spain. It was an excellent choice. Balanced tannin, dark fruit, leather, and vanilla all-orchestrated to stand up to the excellent beef Nestor pumps out of his kitchen. The bartender explained that Callejo puts out three steps of their wines, this being the entry level. If the food and wine coma had not taken over so effectively – sending us stumbling through the cobbled streets of SS’s lovely old town – I would have sprung for the next level. I will be looking for these bottles in the states as, if the entry level bottle is any indication at EU18, they are likely splurge worthy.
Posto Novo 