[Part 3 of my continuing series to track down the seven wines I noted as “standouts” from the Minnesota Monthly Food & Wine Experience in February. Read Part 1, the Tygerberg Gewürztraminer and Part 2, the Tre Monti Albana].
I’ve gotten away from this series lately. It’s August and I’m only on part 3 of 7. And I fear I may only get through part 5 considering I have no idea where to get the Maple River Dandelion wine without driving to North Dakota [other than the online store, complete with $10 shipping for a 375ml], and Mercer Estates doesn’t distribute in Minnesota. But I picked up wines 3 and 4 today shopping France 44’s sale, which is going on through August 28th. Of all the wines I had that day, I can best remember how today’s wine tasted. It’s a grape I don’t drink much of and one that hardly anyone’s even heard of. Whenever a wine writer opines on obscure varieties you should get to know [exhibits A, B, C], it invariably makes the cut.
Blaufrankish doesn’t have a very marketable name. It’s a popular grape in Eastern Europe – Hungary (ever had Bull’s Blood?), Slovenia, the Czech Republic and some Balkan countries grow it widely, though Austria may have the most famous examples in Europe. It is grown in essentially one place in the US – Washington State. It’s a late ripening grape often with good amounts of acidity and spicy tannin. It usually has lightish-medium body, and would be nice served with duck, game birds, and grilled veggies. Other names for the grape include Kekfrankos, Lemberger, and Blauer Limberger. I’ve only had one Blaufrankish so far this year, the 2007 Glatzer from Carnuntum in Austria. It was kind of thin, with not much palpable tannin, and more vegetal tasting than anything. Not my fave, but not a bad wine. It’s one I’d definitely recommend to the committed Merlot drinker (if they exist, post-Sideways).
The Kiona Lemberger [$15.99 at France 44, I believe they have it at a few Haskell’s locations and Sorella as well] is the first commercially produced Lemberger in US. The 2005 has a clear, deep maroon color and a powerful nose of dried fruit, some cranberry, spice, a little mushroom, and alcohol. The sip starts out with a tart dark-berry profile, but is slowly overtaken by a black-peppercorn backbone that eventually consumes the finish. The spice comes on like an old dam about to break – a few drips here and there, then a deluge. The body is a shade lighter than medium, the tannin is moderate and well incorporated. The Syrah/Shiraz drinker will particularly like this one. It’s just got a nice rounded dark berry flavor with some pep in its step. Hard not to like. Of my list of seven ‘standouts’, this is the standout so far.
[…] But wait! I suppose there’s still time for one more. To me, it’s kind of like wearing white after Labor Day [though I hardly ever wear white anyway], that crisp, light, zingy Sauvignon Blanc flavor just doesn’t do it for me once the mercury starts backing up. But today was on the sunny side and I still have a list to complete in 2010. This is Part 4 of my efforts to track down the seven wines I noted as standouts from the MN Monthly Food and Wine Experience back in February [Read parts one, two and three]. […]