It takes a lot of guts, pride or both to put your name on a bottle of wine. Joel Gott has no trouble doing that, given his wines can stand up to even the most severe scrutiny.
Gott is a member of the fifth generation of California winemakers and was trained in food and wine from his earliest days. In 1996, Gott purchased a few tons of zinfandel grapes and with his winemaker girlfriend, later to become his wife, produced his first vintage, a Dillian Ranch Amador County Zinfandel. The wine received such praise from noted wine critics that he began to look into producing other varieties.
Since that modest beginning, Gott has become one of the rising stars of the California wine industry via Joel Gott Wines.
Joel Gott 2011 Alakai California Red Wine ($18)Gott named one of his beloved dogs Alakai, which means “leader” in Hawaiian. He then named a wine in his pet's honor.
This wine was made in the French Rhone River, Chaeauneuf-du-Pape style by blending together grenache, syrah, mourvedre and carignane.
This is definitely a wine for people who enjoy robust fruit-flavored wines. The 2011 Joel Gott Alakai prominently displays the aromas of wild cherry and raspberry, with spicy notes of white pepper and anise. On the palate, the wine mirrors the aroma, which is then rounded out by ripe fruit flavors and smooth tannins. One of the strongest attributes of this wine is its finish. Not only is it soft and silky, but it is loaded with summer dark fruit flavors and lasts in the mouth for an exceptionally long time.
If you are looking for an interesting wine that strays away from the ordinary, Alakai is it.
Joel Gott 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon 815 ($18)This wine displays all of the flavor, aroma and quality of wines selling for considerably higher prices.
The Joel Gott 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon 815 is a deeply colored, soft, fruity wine stressing the flavors and aromas of cranberries, cherries and plums with a background of oak and a hint of mint. This wine is packed with jammy fruit flavors running the gamut of summer red fruits and berries. There is a new flavor experience with each sip.
The tannins, which can be formidable in a cabernet sauvignon, are held in check so the wine needs no further aging prior to drinking. The wine, however, can be aged for up to five years to build complexity and depth.
While this wine has not been made in the traditional style for a cabernet sauvignon, it reflects the softer side of the variety without losing any of the elements that have made this the most popular red wine variety in the world. We believe that even the most devoted classical style cabernet lover will enjoy this wine, as will novices. Oh yes, the 815 was put on the bottle to honor the birthday of Joel Gott's daughter: Aug. 15.
Joel Gott 2011 Sauvignon Blanc ($12)This is a very easy drinking wine, typical of a California sauvignon blanc by not accenting the grassy flavor occasionally associated with this variety.
Both the aroma and the flavor stress the melon and grapefruit characteristics of the grape, while maintaining a slight fruit sweetness. This bit of sweetness raises this wine from an ordinary dinner wine to the position of an impeccable sipping wine.
The Joel Gott 2011 Sauvignon Blanc is still the perfect wine to accompany shell fish and other lightly prepared seafood dishes, but it is also a wine to serve with summer fresh fruit salads, with or without mild cheese, and pasta dishes with light white sauces.
Nixa resident Bennet Bodenstein is a wine columnist and helps manage ArticlesOnWine.com with his wife, Sheila. He can be reached at frojhe@suddenlink.net.[[In-content Ad]]
