Joe's Winos Wine Club september 2017

STEELE

'SHOOTING STAR' ALIGOTE 2014

The Aligote varietal has seen little fanfare in its history. Planted in bulk as the 'other white' of France's Burgundy region, wines made from Aligote were often blended with Creme de Cassis to make a Kir cocktail. Only in recent years has this varietal been shown more respect. By reducing their yield each harvest and focusing on this grape's character, Burgundy's Aligote proves to have a great deal of personality well beyond its traditional role as a mixer. Aligote is even less known domestically with little to no plantings in California and two lone acres in Washington State. It was this small parcel planted in the 1970s that caught Jed Steele's attention. Always one to experiment with lesser known varietals, Jed produced an expression of Aligote that is one of a kind and absolutely delicious! Lemon custard, toasted hazelnuts, and yellow apples and baked peaches lead to a palate offering honey glazed pear, cantaloupe, and a bright glean of minerality followed by a pithy citrus finish. Open this and let it warm up for about 20 minutes. It'll be worth the wait!

Pairings:

This plays particularly well with Asian cuisine. Try Mandarin duck with a little heat! Nuts and Goat cheese with lemon zest.

KANONKOP

'KADETTE' CAPE BLEND RED 2015

The name Kanonkop translates as "Cannon Hill", referencing the 17th Century cannons which were fired to alert local farmers of trade vessels entering the Cape Town Harbor. The Kanonkop winery is located in Stellenbosch, South Africa's top wine growing region, and their wines are considered some of South Africa's best. As opposed to the deep narrow tanks typically used in the region, Kanonkop employs open, shallow concrete vats. Winemaker Abrie Beeslaar believes these unique tanks, spreading out and increasing the wine's contact with the grape skins during hand-punching and fermenting, are the secret to the high quality of their wines. The Kadette Cape Blend, from the exceptional 2015 vintage, is a blend of 54% Pinotage , 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Merlot. This wine brings plenty of dark cherries, smokey vanilla, plums, black currants and mocha on its thick, heady nose. The palate is rich, juicy and abundant with raspberries and black pepper. There are plenty of fine tannins intermingling with the pie spice finish. This wine is showing very well now but could be set down for another 5 years.

PAIRINGS:

Burgers, grilled meats. Herb encrusted, thick cut pork chop. French lentils with garlic and thyme.