Part of the fun of wines is there are so many variations on the same theme to choose from. With the assemblage of wine labels on dealers’ shelves and in restaurants, the choices are almost endless.
Wine lovers are definitely fickle. We try this brand or that brand, find one we like, stay with it for a while and then move on to something else. But what happens when one tires of the constant experimenting? Where do they go now?
Franciscan Estates Winery is the perfect brand to return to when you tire of experimenting. The Franciscan Estates wines are always consistent and full-flavored in the true California style. They are also very popular, so they can be found in most wine shops, supermarkets and restaurants.
Franciscan Estates 2011 Napa Valley Merlot ($22) Merlot is a grape variety that has really taken a beating in recent years. Earlier merlot wines were soft little things with mild fruit flavors and a cedar wood finish. What made merlot so popular in the early ‘90s has been glossed over in favor of ease of production and a familiarization with the cabernet style by winemakers.
This wine could renew America's love affair with merlot. It is a grand wine, accentuating the aromas of ripe plums and dark raisins, as well as that elusive cedar aroma found only in the finest merlot wines. The flavor is a melding of blackberries, vanilla, and oak. There is also a soft tannic structure to ensure many years of life.
Franciscan Estates 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon ($29)We hope we have not exhausted you with all the previous superlatives, but there are more to come. Franciscan Estates winemakers took a clue from their merlot and made a softer, more accessible cabernet savignon.
This wine is a deeply colored, soft, fruity wine stressing the flavors and aromas of blackberries and oak. The flavor is packed with jammy tastes, running the gamut of summer red fruits and berries. The tannins, which can be formidable in a cab, have been held in check so the wine needs no further aging prior to drinking.
Franciscan Estates 2013 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($17)This wine accents all the fruit flavors possible from the savignon blanc grape.
Gone are the grassy flavors and aromas that have often been associated with this variety. They have been replaced by the rich fruit tastes of nectarine, melon and Mandarin orange. Honeydew and vanilla are also present as under-flavors and add their individual charm to the wine.
If you tried a savignon blanc in the past and had been turned off by the grassy and vegetative aromas and flavors, try this wine; it is totally different.
Franciscan Estates 2011 Napa Valley Magnificent Meritage ($55)A meritage is a wine blending several varieties, with cabernet savignon usually being the major constituent. In the Franciscan Estates 2011 Napa Valley Magnificent Meritage, the blend is 79 percent cabernet sauvignon, 12 percent merlot, 6 percent petit verdot and 3 percent malbec. What this all means is the winemakers created a selection that utilizes the grapes in such a way as to produce a drink directed toward the American palate.
The aroma is a compendium of inviting sensations, running from black cherries, plums and chocolate to hints of olives, peppercorn and tobacco. The flavor accents cocoa and cassis with a whole series of under-flavors - chocolate, black truffles and mint being the most obvious. There also is a mineral quality in this wine that carries over to the long, satiny finish.
Nixa resident Bennet Bodenstein is a wine columnist and manages ArticlesOnWine.com. He can be reached at frojhe1@att.net.
