The Wine of the Week this week is the HandCraft Chardonnay.  This wine lists California as it’s appellation.  To list a more specific appellation means that at least 85% of the grapes come from that appellation.  Did you know that to be called a varietal Chardonnay (or any other varietal for that matter in California) there only has to be 75% of that particular grape in the wine.  The HandCraft Chardonnay is actually a blend of 86% Chardonnay, 7% Viognier (a French white grape), and 5% Malvasia Bianca (an Italian grape).  Both the Viognier and Malvasia Bianca both add floral overtones to the aroma of the wine.  What is nice about the HandCraft label is that  the flavor (taste and aroma) profile is printed right on the label.  This light colored Chardonnay has pear, apricot, and lemon aromas.  With  aging in oak, besides the pear flavor on the taste buds, you also pick up butterscotch. The oak also provides a creamy finish.  Check out the label and see if you can pick out the same aromas and tastes that are printed on the label.  This wine scored 87 points from Wine Enthusiast and was also selected as an Editor’s Choice.  A very nice wine to serve with salads, chicken, and seafood, typical warm weather fare.  This wine along with other HandCraft varietals will be specially priced this Friday and Saturday only at Franklin Wine & Spirits.

We chose a sparkling wine as the Wine of Week this week to celebrate Mother’s Day.  There is a lot of history with this week’s Wine of the Week, which is the Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs Brut Vintage 2008.  Back in the late 1800’s, when the intercontinental railroad was finished, thousands of Chinese laborers were out of work.  These men were very experienced with picks and shovels.  They were hired by the founder of Schramsberg to hand dig the caves in which this sparkling wine is stored and aged.  These caves go back for a mile inside the hills overlooking Calistoga, at the north end of the Napa Valley.  More history involved with Schramsberg came when Richard Nixon was President and had invited the top Chinese government official to visit America.  In the past, all official state dinners had served French wines.  However, President Nixon, being from California wanted to showcase American wines.  The sparkling wine poured for the Chinese guests that most of the United States saw on national TV was the Schramsberg sparkling wine.  The winery’s phone started ringing off the hook the next day as everyone wanted the wine served at the White House.  This week’s wine is the Blanc de Blancs (French for white of whites).  Champagnes are made from either the Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, or Pinot Munier grapes, the latter two being red grapes (the skins are removed to keep most sparkling wines whites.  However, in a Blanc de Blancs, the wine is made from 100% Chardonnay, so it will be a lighter, more refreshing sparkling wine.  Brut is the more drier of sparkling wines (drier than Dry or Extra Dry oddly enough) and you have aromas of the yeast, along with white fruits such as apple and apricot.  Very crisp in the mouth with the bubbles tickling the taste buds and a ending with a dry finish.  Sparkling wine makes a great aperitif to start the evening or as a dessert wine to put the finishing touch on a great Mother’s Day meal.  If you would like to sample this wine before buying, it will be featured at this weekend’s wine tasting at Franklin Wine & Spirits.  Have a Good One!

In preparation and anticipation of this weekend’s running of the Kentucky Derby, the Wine of the Week is the 14 Hands Hot to Trot.  This white wine is a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Gris.  The wine is lightly colored with just a slight straw coloring.  The aromas are melon, peach, and green apples.  These same flavors come through once you take a taste.  The Chardonnay portion of this wine makes it soft and round, while the Pinot Gris provides some crispness on the easy, slightly dry finish.  A great wine to sip during the warm weekend while you pull for your favorite horse.  This particular 14 Hands horse is Hot to Trot.  You can sample this wine and several other “horse” label wines this weekend at Franklin Wine & Spirits.

Franklin TN - I met with the owner and winemaker of Victor Hugo Winery this past week.  No it is not the famous author (since he is deceased that would be a miracle), but the winemaker does like to play off the name similarity with wines such as the Les Mis and the Hunchback.  We tasted several of his wines and to me the best one we tasted was the Victor Hugo Petite Sirah and it is this week’s Wine of the Week.  Petite Sirah is not a tiny Shiraz grape but they are cousins.  This wine is a very dark red color, with a shade of purple.  The aroma of this wine was a deep aroma of dark chocolate with spices.  As I taste a number of wines every week, I have created some shorthand notes.  For this wine, I used the shorthand note TLIS which means it Tastes Like It Smells.  This wine was very smooth and round in the mouth, but as belies its complexity, it ended with a very dry finish.  I gave this wine a very high score in my tasting notes.  If you haven’t tried a Petite Sirah, I encourage you to do so, and the Victor Hugo Petite Sirah would be an excellent one to start with.  You can try this wine this weekend at Franklin Wine & Spirits as it will be one of the featured wines at our wine tasting.

Courtesy of Franklin Wine & Spirits

Franklin TN - The Wine of the Week is the 2010 Limestone Hill Chardonnay.  This wine comes from the Robertson area of South Africa.  The wine has a light straw color showing it’s young age.  This is an unoaked Chardonnay so instead of butter, there is a mineral/slate smell, nice but not overbearing.  In the mouth is white fruit flavors such as apple and pear with the slight taste of minerality on the soft finish.  This wine scored 90 points from Steven Tanzer and can be sampled this Friday for no charge at Franklin Wine & Spirits in the McKay’s Mill subdivision.  The McEwen extension will be opening this Friday making it easier to find your way to the store.

Courtesy of Franklin Wine & Spirits

Wine of the Week - Left Coast Cellars Cali’s Cuvee Pinot Noir

Franklin TN - The Wine of the Week is the Left Coast Cellars Cali’s Cuvee Pinot Noir.  From the Willamette Valley of Oregon, the cuvee (French for blend) is all Pinot Noir grapes from seven different blocks of vineyards from the Left Coast Cellars estate.  The aroma begins with bright red cherries with hints of tobacco and chocolate that follow.  This Pinot has a little more weight in the mouth than normal, especially given this is from Oregon.  Aging in French Oak adds the earthiness of the flavors but this is a nice, meaty Pinot Noir that ends with a medium dry finish.  If you plan to grill Salmon, this is the wine to accompany this fish.  However, because of the weight of this Pinot Noir, it will also go well with lamb and beef.  This wine received a 92 point rating from Wine Spectator.  You can sample this wine along with other Left Coast Cellars wines this Friday evening at Franklin Wine & Spirits, located in McKay’s Mill, 2 ½ miles east of I-65 from the Cool Springs Blvd. East exit.

Franklin TN - The Wine of the Week this week is the 2008 Petra Zingari IGT Toscana. A red blend of 25% Merlot, 25% Sangiovese, 25% Syrah, and 25% Petit Verdot, this medium dark red wine has what I call a typical Old World style aroma of earthiness with a slightly musky hint. In the mouth, the wine is very soft and feels very round in the mouth. With tastes of cherry and a suggestion of rose petals, this wine ends with a very nice, smooth finish. This vintage scored 90 points by Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate. You can sample the Zingari this Friday evening at Franklin Wine & Spirits, located in McKay’s Mill next to Publix. If you love soft, smooth reds, you will really enjoy this wine.

Courtesy of Franklin Wine & Spirits

Wine of the Week

Franklin TN - The Franklin Wine & Spirits Wine of the Week is the 2009 Wakefield Estate Shiraz.  This wine has a dark red color, almost inky.  The nose gives the aromas of leather, tobacco, spice, and purple plum.  In the mouth, the wine feels very round with lots of dark fruit, especially blackberry.  This wine has a medium to full body weight and accomplishes the roundness but weight with the addition of 6% Voignier, 2% Malbec, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon.  The wine is aged in American oak for 12 months.  While this vintage has not been rated, the previous vintage scored 92 points from Robert Parket at the Wine Advocate.  In my own rating scale I gave this wine an "Okay +" which I have found over time to equate to 90-92 points from such nationally known raters as Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast.  This wine would go well with grilled red meat, such as a nice, juicy T-Bone.  You can sample this wine for free this Friday between 5:00 and 9:00 p.m. at Franklin Wine & Spirits.

Franklin TN - The Wine of the Week is the 2008 Vina Robles RED4.  This is a blend of 62% Syrah, 34% Petite Sirah, 2% Grenache, and 2% Mourvedre. The grapes are all estate grown and come from the Huerhuero Vineyard.  Each grape type contributes to the wine. The Syrah provides the spice and cherry flavors, the Petite Sirah provides structure (weight) to the wine, the Grenache provides more up front fruit flavors, and the Mourvedre provides a rustic character. The wine was aged for 16 months in used French oak. The wine begins with a strong up front aroma of dark fruits such as blackberry along with black cherry.  This medium weight wine is very smooth and round in the mouth with lots of fruit flavors at the front but then closes with a dry finish.  This wine received 89 points from Wine Spectator and 90 points and a Best Buy rating from the  Beverage Tasting Institute.  Dishes made with hamburger meat, any red sauce, or grilled juicy meat would be an excellent pairing with this wine.  You can try this wine at Franklin Wine & Spirits this Friday beginning at 5:00.  Have a Good One!

Courtesy of Franklin Wine & Spirits

Franklin Wine and Spirits "Wine of the Week"

We wanted to celebrate our working together with HobNob Franklin by this selection for our first Wine of the Week.

• 2009 Hob Nob Cabernet Sauvignon – Dark red color expresses itself in the dark fruit aromas of blackberry, cassis, and other black fruits.  The taste is fruit forward with the same black fruits of the nose.  A medium finish that is slightly dry.  A wine that tastes better than its retail price of $14.  This wine goes with grilled steak, roasted lamb, and dark chocolate (nice to know around Valentine’s Day) and  is available at Franklin Wine & Spirits.  Have a Good One!