Naming a wine Federalist is an interesting choice in this era of political correctness.
Fortunately, there is no longer an active Federalist political party or even a hint of politics or political opinions in these very excellent wines. They are, however, not entirely bereft of confrontation; there is of course the continuing and never-ending discourse between wine enthusiasts concerning the attributes of a wine and their personal preferences, a situation we hope will never get violent and will never end.
Another interesting thing about the Federalist wines are their labels; they are absolutely beautiful. Some have line drawings of our founding fathers, while others display period items. Our suggestion to the Federalist hierarchy: you should release those labels in a size suitable for framing. They would look great as decorations for a playroom, den or man cave. But we digress, on to the wines.
The Federalist “George Washington” 2013 Lodi Zinfandel ($29)The Lodi area in California is nearly universally acknowledged as producing the finest zinfandel grapes; this wine is a testament to that.
Wines made from Lodi zinfandel grapes are often referred to as jammy by winemakers because of a jam-like, fruity flavor, but unlike jam, this wine is dry. In this case, the wine displays the aroma of dried cranberries, raspberries, blackberries and spice with suggestions of plum and wild berry. The finish is also very berry and above all, long.
We will stick our necks out and say this wine could be considered the president (we did not think king would be appropriate here) of wine to accompany barbecues.
The Federalist 2013 “Alexander Hamilton” Dry Creek Zinfandel ($25) This wine comes from grapes grown in Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley, which is famous for grapes with superior depth of flavor and quality.
The aroma concentrates on red fruits, plum, cherry, blackberries and cinnamon spice that carry over to the flavor, where they mingle with vanilla and oak. The finale is impressive.
The Federalist 2013 “Benjamin Franklyn” Lodi Cabernet Sauvignon ($22) This wine is a blend of cabernet savignon, with just a bit of merlot balanced by cabernet franc, petite syrah and sangiovese.
This wine has an inviting red color, a medium body and presents the flavor and aroma of blackberries, raspberries and cranberries with hints of cinnamon. Most of these aromas carry over to the flavor where they mingle with a suggestion of raspberries and soft spices.
The wine is easy to drink and an interesting side step away from the same old.
The Federalist 2012 “Dueling Pistols" Red Blend ($35)This wine is a full-bodied, 50-50 blend of Dry Creek-grown zinfandel and sirah grapes displaying a deep garnet color and showcasing the aromas of black cherry and dark summer berries that continue on to the flavor. The fruit then passes to the finish where it lingers in the mouth for an extraordinarily long time.
The Federalist 2013 Russian River Valley Chardonnay ($25)The Russian River District is known for some of the finest chardonnay wines coming out of California. Big is the best term to describe this wine. The Federalist 2012 Russian River Valley Chardonnay is a refreshing view of an old standard.
This wine presents an up-front and quite obvious full-fruit aroma stressing lemon, pineapple, pear and springtime flowers. These aromas carry over to the flavor where they mingle with tropical fruit, cinnamon and green apple. There is also a spicy, toasty under-flavor with a slight hint of oak and vanilla. Here, too, the finish is incredibly long and fruity.
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]]
