After my nasty experience with a second bottle of Testa Cabernet Franc and the plastic cork fiasco, I moved on this this bottle of Petite Sirah from Baja California - Mexico. It was really delicious and aged just right. Blackberry and spice on the nose came around to also play on the palate along with peppery notes and a hint of cedar. It was also impressive to see this under $10 bottle of wine was sealed with an actual cork, I'm just saying.
Showing posts with label Mexico. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mexico. Show all posts
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
LA Cetto 2001 Private Reserve Nebbiolo (Mexico)
So tonight we decided to make taco salad for dinner and in my infinite wisdom I thought a Mexican wine would be nice ... but what is the national grape of Mexico? I've had Petite Sirah and Zinfandel from this same producer (LA Cetto) but what do the Mexicans consider as "their grape" - cerveza? What wine goes with tacos? All very difficult questions to answer. So when I saw I had a bottle of Nebbiolo, an Italian grape variety that`s used to make Barolo, I thought I just have to give this a whirl. Having been to the region of Piedmont (where Nebbiolo is most prevalent) I can tell you that the Italians believe there is no place else on earth that does Nebbiolo like they do ... and no where else on earth does this grape grow as well as it does right there in its "native" home. I have seen bottles of Nebbiolo from some odd places, nowhere odder than Ontario, but Nebbiolo from Mexico struck me as odd too - probably why I bought it in the first place. As for the wine in bottle, I would have to say it was pretty good. The nose had layers of dried blackberry, currants, cinnamon spice, spiced dried cherries and a hint of cedaryness ... these aromas didn't come out all at once, they seemed to pop up throughout the evening as the wine opened. The first thing noticed on the palate was the spiciness and acidity, that soon turned into black currants, spice, sour cherry and later hints of raspberry-balsamic and spice. All very interesting and quite a lot of fun on the tongue. Coating the glass was also a fine dusting of sediment and within an hour of opening tannins and woodsiness started to take over, making the wine seem drier than it previously had. I would have to say I was impressed with the wine ... it might not be their national grape, but it sure is one I wouldn't stop making wine from; though I have never seen a bottle of it since my original purchase many moons ago.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
LA Cetto 2005 Petite Sirah (Mexico)
Mexico is known more for its Cerveza (por favor) then their wine, but they do make some wines and some good ones at that. This is pretty much the only Mexican wine we see in Ontario and its been a staple for the last few years (if not more). And the price is pretty reasonable ... once under $10, now just over. I thought I'd age one to see if the value continues, and I am glad to report that yes for under $10 you can get a wine to sit in the cellar for a few years without having it turn to vinegar. This one still had lots of fruit with blackberry, cassis, and plum with some spice holding it together ... the aromas came off as sweet so it was nice to have the spice there. On the palate there was lots of that good fruit coming through and loads of black pepper and spice. Perfect pairing on taco night - which is just what we did.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
L.A. Cetto 2004 Petite Sirah (Mexico)
L.A. Cetto wines are always fun to bring to a BBQ and the reason is simple: people inevitably pick up the bottle (after they have tried it) and they take a second and sometimes a third look at the bottle, "I didn't know Mexico made wine". They do and it's usually pretty good, especially the ones from Cetto. I have tried their Zinfandel from them along with Nebbiolo and this Petite Sirah; and I find they offer great value. This one is 6 years old and still delivered a lot of pleasure and enjoyment: the nose smelled of black fruit and white pepper while the palate was plummy and peppery, quite a tasty treat for BBQ season.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
LA Cetto 2005 Petite Sirah (Mexico)
Some nights you open a bottle of wine that you are so sure you want, and when you take that first sip you realize, "this is not what I was looking for at all". - such was the case with this Mexican Petite Sirah ... sure it had all the pre-requisites I thought it would and should have: nice red fruit, peppery and a touch spicy on the tongue, the tannins had subsided and the palate was smooth and enjoyable ... but not to me. I had a glass, put the cork back on the bottle and stored it away on my counter for a rainy day that I would hope to come in the next 2-3 days, but then again maybe it won't rain and the bottle will go to, shock of all shocks, to waste. Too bad, under better cirrcumstances I would have enjoyed this one but as is often the case mood dictates the enjoyment of the wine you chose and my mood just wasn't there for a Petite Sirah - too quick with the corkscrew and not with the brain.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Gaia (Greece); LA Cetto (Mexico); Apollonio (Italy)
Family dinner tonight, and as usual I am the guy in charge of the wine. Brought a few bottles, you never know what is going to go over well and what will be shot down. Tonight everyone agreed the Gaia White (2007 Thalassitis) just wasn't up to snuff. (my notes: over-ripe apple, touch of butterscotch and spice, but the wine seemed cooked, heavy and over done). The LA Cetto 2005 Zinfandel fared much better delivering up a plethora of easy drinking enjoyable flavours, mostly it was plummy and rich. Finally, with the main course I pulled out the piece-de-resistence the 2001 Apollonio Valle Cupa, a 50/50 blend of Primitivo and Negroamaro - plums and cherries greet the nose with a touch of chocolate and wood spice, still has good tannins and smoky port-like nuances on the palate. Very enjoyable. Most of the white saw the sink, but both bottles of red were drunk dry.
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