It is believed by some that old souls are people who, unbeknownst to them, have gained the traits or talents of others who are no longer with us and apply those gifts to their present life.
Two perfect examples of this are Amira Willighagen - check out this
YouTube video - and the Old Soul brand of wines. We must admit this is a sneaky way to get into a wine column; but let’s be honest, it worked.
In the case of grapes, Old Soul refers to the soul and spirit of grape vines with quality and character that's been passed on from vine to vine for many centuries. Just FYI, grape vines are not grown from seeds, but from cuttings, thus continuing a line that dates back thousands of years when the first vines were cultivated by man.
It is somewhat hard to believe, but the wines we drink today are the same wines that were enjoyed by the pharaohs of ancient Egypt, Julius Caesar, Henry VIII, Napoleon and all wine lovers who have preceded us.
Although there were some stylistic modifications to the wine throughout those years, the grape varieties have not changed much.
Oak Ridge Winery, the producer of Old Soul, draws the fruit for their wines from some well-known, established vineyards in Lodi, Calif. As the prices of grapes from the premium growing areas rose, vintners began to look for other areas capable of growing grapes for quality wines. When they finally got around to Lodi, they were astonished at the high-quality wines that could be made from grapes they once sneered at.
Today, the wines of Lodi, while still lower priced than those from the elite districts, are considered to be first class. We had that proven to us when we had an opportunity to sample some of the Old Soul wines.
Old Soul 2013 Chardonnay ($13)Liar, liar, pants on fire. While this wine is 98 percent chardonnay, 2 percent is a little known grape called symphony. Symphony is a very aromatic grape that displays broad floral notes, and the addition of this small amount adds a new dimension to a familiar grape style. When the wine is poured, the aromas of pineapple, pear and lemon mix with accents of vanilla, caramel and a light, and very elegant, touch of oak. On the palate, this medium-bodied wine exhibits ripe pear, pineapple and peach in obvious amounts. The finish is long, fruity and silky smooth. If you have become bored with look-a-like, taste-a-like chardonnays, trust us, this one will thrill you.
Old Soul 2013 Red Blend ($13)This wine is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, petite sirah, zinfandel and merlot, all of which help to impart a dark, almost inky black ruby color to the wine. Although the wine is totally dry, the aroma suggests sweet blackberries and blueberries entwined around the suggestion of spice and mushrooms. All of these aromas are carried over to the flavor, which is intense and vibrant and followed by an equally long and fruit-loaded finish. Pardon our enthusiasm, but this is one very fine wine and definitely deserves your interest. It certainly got ours.
Old Soul 2013 Merlot ($13)Here is a merlot that has it all: aroma, flavor and aftertaste. The best way to describe this wine is to call it jammy. The aroma mirrors cherry jam, blueberries and mint, with cedar and vanilla bringing up the rear. The flavor stresses the same elements found in the aroma - cherries and blueberries - but with hints of chocolate and cola in the background. These flavors are also found in the aftertaste, which is long and delicate. An interesting element in this wine is its cedar-like aroma, which is an element captured only by the best merlots. This wine will delight the palates of even the most critical connoisseurs.
Nixa resident Bennet Bodenstein is a wine columnist and manages ArticlesOnWine.com. He can be reached at frojhe1@att.net.
