Most know Frances Ford Coppola for his list of seminal
movies, but his passion is no less for wines as he owns or partially owns
several vineyards, most with an emphasis on keeping wine accessible and
family-friendly, if such a term fits, as he remembered from his childhood. Good
on him there, but that doesn’t work if the wines won’t play and by my
accounting, though admittedly, he does have several levels, the only one I’ve
found to be especially suitable is this, the stunning Claret.
A bit on the term “claret”, since it doesn’t really go with
a grape…instead, it is a British term for a blend or style of wine made in the
tradition established in the Bordeaux region of France. Great, I hear you
saying, but what does that mean? Claret, speaking from an etymology
perspective, is derived from clarus, the Latin word for clear or transparent.
Now…given that wine hitting England from when the word was coined, so to speak,
was much lighter, by all accounts, a sort of rose’, this would have been
perhaps had at least some basis in description and possibly they would have
needed it to describe a style that was copied elsewhere and perhaps not
necessarily originating in France at all.
As to that style, the so-called “Bordeaux” style, this
generally refers to a blend and this wine indeed is such a blend, incorporating
Cabernet, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec, though the Cabernet
is by far the greatest percentage. This gives a very good, solid, perhaps
“woody”, to borrow a bit from another British export, the ever-fantastic Monty
Python, liquid. It is also quite tasty.
It’s a touch on the dry side and clearly the winemaker
behind this was going for character and complexity as both are here in ample
portions. There are several dark notes here and if you follow the pattern I do,
which is to start slightly chilled, you will be rewarding with a shifting
pallet as the wine both airs and takes on more room temperature. In terms of
making something accessible, Coppola has come forward well and this is one of
those wines I would suggest people start with (the other being Atrea Old Soul
Red) when they first decide to undertake the wine journey as it will
immediately set a strong tone.
They also are then starting near the upper price limit of
this list as well. The vineyard obviously intended for this to be an elegant,
yet rich, round and full-bodied higher end entry, as noted by the gold netting
denoting such a thing traditionally with which the bottle is draped. I’ve yet
to ever see this on SPA and it would be a fantastic deal if it was, yet as
noted, it is pushing the upper ceiling of this list and as such, is another
that checks in as a Mixed.
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