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Wine Review: Gadgets come and go, good wine is timeless

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While the Christmas season is a time of celebrating the good old times, the gifts we receive often propel us into the future. The kids get toys that are far and away different from the simple toys and dolls of our youth. We are all not exempt from the modern explosion of electronic gifts. There are all sorts of electronic thingamajigs teenagers simply can’t possible live without and all electronic home implements that are a must have. I suspect the there will shortly be a phone app to regulate bodily functions.
 
There is however one industry that not only will not march lock step into our electronic future, but also is actually well settled in the methods and techniques of the past. If you haven’t guessed it by now it is the wine industry – which is based on nothing more than the natural process of yeast turning grape sugar into alcohol. There is none better at preserving that operation in its ancient and natural form than Dry Creek Vineyards. Dry Creek puts its effort into growing the finest grapes possible for their wines and lets nature do the rest.
 
Dry Creek Vineyard 2014  Old Vines Zinfandel ($28)
Do geriatric vines make better wine, or at least different wines, than there juvenile compatriots? In the case of zinfandel, it sure does. It seems the grapes from these older vines produce wines more intense in flavor, aroma and a longer, smoother aftertaste than their younger brethren. The grapes for this wine came from pre-prohibition vines  between 95 and 110 years old.

This is a glorious wine, resplendent with the aroma and flavor of big, ripe blackberries and the undertone of oak and cedar. There also is a peppery component, which assures this wine can accompany even the spiciest of foods. But as with anything good, there is a downside – these older vines do not produce many grapes, so the supply of their wines is always limited. My advice is to get one now while the supply lasts.
 
Dry Creek Vineyard DCV Estate Block 10 Russian River Valley  Chardonnay ($48)
When a winery names the vineyard where the grapes were grown, you usually know the wine will be above average. The DCV Estate Block 10 is just that and perhaps even more. Chardonnay grapes from the Russian River Valley are noted for producing fine wines; those from the Dutton Ranch, produce exceptional wines. The cool growing conditions at the DCV Estate Block 10 result in a wine that is not as fruity as many of the other California chardonnay wines and tends to be a bit closer to the French classical style.

The nose however, is very much a classical chardonnay with its very obvious apple and citrus aromas. The flavor is complex with no specific fruit flavor predominating. The wine has a solid acid bite and a background of tasted nuts. It is a well made and easy to enjoy wine and a credit to the Dry Creek winemakers.
 
Dry Creek Vineyard 2013 Sonoma County Mariner ($45)
This wine is classified as a meritage, a wine that is a blend of several varieties, with cabernet sauvignon usually being the major constituent. In the Dry Creek Vineyard 2010 Sonoma County Mariner the blend is 54 percent cabernet sauvignon, 24 percent merlot, 8 percent malbec, 4 percent cabernet franc and 10 percent petit verdot. Mariner is not a standard formula wine, produced the same way each and every year. It is a wine that is tailored annually to utilize the grapes of a specific year and produce a wine directed toward the American palate.

The aroma is a compendium of interesting sensations, running from black cherries to coffee to oak. The flavor accents dark berries and cassis with a whole series of under flavors running from blackberry to green tea. There is also a mineral quality in this wine that carries over to a long extraordinary finish.

Nixa resident Bennet Bodenstein is a wine columnist and manages Facebook.com/ArticlesOnWine. He can be reached at ben@articlesonwine.com.

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