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Wine Review: Some California wines are boring, but not these

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I recently had the opportunity to sample some interesting and well-made California wines that deserve your attention.

It’s rare to find wines that are both unique and interesting. While I may get shot down for this statement, I’ve found many California wines are becoming a bit boring. So, when I find some that are above and beyond the usual for whatever reason, I call it to the reader’s attention.  

To be clear, these are not great wines; great wines only occur a few times during a century and engender headlines. These wines, however, are fine representatives of the style and are an excellent buy for the money. After all, isn’t that what we are all looking for?
 
Purple Heart 2014 Napa Valley Red Wine ($20)
The C. Mondavi family produced a wine aptly named Purple Heart, to honor all the defenders of this country who were wounded in action. It would be one thing to slap a patriotic label on a bottle of wine just to attract buyers and rake in the profits. The Mondavi family, however, turns over a portion of the profits to the Purple Heart Foundation, an organization devoted to the needs and care of our wounded veterans annually.  

The Purple Heart red wine is a blend of four of the most popular red wine varieties: 80 percent merlot, 15 percent cabernet sauvignon, 4 percent petite sirah and 1 percent petit verdot. Typical of a Napa Valley wine, it displays a deep, almost opaque ruby color and the aroma of mulberries, plums, and blackberries backed up by the very noticeable under-flavor of licorice. The flavor accentuates red and black fruits with cranberry and pomegranate being the most obvious. These flavors continue through to the full-flavored finish, where they remain in the mouth for a long time and even longer in the memory.
 
Bridlewood Estate Vineyards 2014 Monterey County Pinot Noir ($15)
The Bridlewood Estate Vineyards 2014 Monterey County Pinot Noir is one of those rarely produced California pinot noir gems. The color is a deep cherry/ruby red while the aroma is a variety of fruit flavors featuring cherries and raspberries mingled with oak. Below the surface there is a swirling, kaleidoscopic array of dark summer fruits and berries along with that indefinable incense-like aroma that marks a truly fine pinot noir.

The flavor is as multifaceted as is the aroma. There is a host of cherry and berry flavors, all of which are wrapped in that indefinable pinot noir velvet softness. This wine also possesses a substantial body, which is another sign of a well-made, finely proportioned pinot noir. The finish is long, interesting and as complex as is the aroma. To be very honest, this wine is reminiscent of the great burgundies of the 1960s.
 
Bridlewood Estate Vineyards 2014 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon ($15)
Another variety that has taken the boring hit in recent years is the cabernet sauvignon. Considered by the wine community as the most popular red wine – a fact that I most emphatically challenge – it has morphed itself into the category of mundane. As you would imagine, there are wines that rise above the pack and deserve recognition. This is one of those wines.

The wine is a California show piece displaying all of the classical flavors found in far more costly cabernet sauvignons, while exemplifying the big fruit, wide open California style. This wine has been crafted to take advantage of the individual flavor nuances of the grapes grown in the Paso Robles area.

The flavor is big and jammy showcasing blackberries, pomegranates and fresh summer berries intertwined with dark chocolate and oak. A long and delightfully fruity finish caps off the wine. Forget about what best goes with a cabernet sauvignon and just enjoy this one.

Wine columnist Bennett Bodenstein can be reached at frojhe1@att.net.

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