Issue LXI: Columbia Composition Edition

Columbia Composition [Blend]

This one is danger, in some respects. Let’s examine those. Firstly, it passes the Marissa Ross test quite handily. This is definitely one of the few reds that could be considered “open & chug”. While it does much better with a touch of air time, it is silky smooth right out of the gate. I’ve had much lighter wines that were considerably less smooth than this and it really is quite amazing for a red. There is little to no bite to this, which I found especially interesting. Taste is also spectacular. The blend is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah, so some big, bold bruisers of grapes, with the Syrah, one of my favorites, doing most of the heavy lifting here. The Cabernet is the largest percentage, but it definitely tastes and feels a bit smoother than the Cabs tend to be. There are also elements of Malbec and Petit Verdot to round things out. This entry is clearly meant to show the artistry of blending, which is done to great effect here. Varied vintages are also utilized.

The vast majority of the HSC List is from California. I don’t think it is more than everything else put together (as of this writing, there are 61 wines total on the list, 27 of which are from CA), but it is by far the single-biggest region represented on this list. It is in no danger of being surpassed, but it often overshadows another stellar U.S. entry and that of Washington, which has a lot to offer. Seeing more and more entries like this will definitely do much to get the name out there, I think, though, of course, quite a few people are already in the know.

While I wouldn’t put this quite at my overall favorite, I loved it from the first sip, right out of the gate and my appreciation has only grown since then. It is clearly a Standard, as I have bought it repeatedly, regardless of being on SPA or not (I honestly have not noticed) and the price is moderate enough that I will happily do so. This is also one of those few wines I would suggest to people who are unsure or don’t think the like either wines or reds. Very accessible.

Issue LX: Moonstone Asian Pear Sake Edition

Moonstone Asian Pear Sake

Going away from the reds and more traditional grape wines for a bit, we have this delightful entries. Sake is one of my most favorite comfort wines and I will happily knock through it, nice and warm (never actually hot) nearly anytime, including summer, even if the sake isn’t all that great. It is the first thing I reach for when I’m ill and if there is a wine that transcends the HSC list in general, it is this type, as I loved it from the jump and have never stopped. It is one my wife (see earliest posts of this blog) does not seem to have any great fondness for, so it operates largely outside of the list.

Sake, with fermented rice as the base, has its own distinct character and variations, much like the appellations of the other wines here. This particular one is very light and fruity and could function well as a dessert wine. To my regret, a number of the liquor stores around don’t stock it and it’s one I have to be somewhat careful not to buy large amounts of, as I will happily consume it and keep going. The Momokawa (another excellent sake) is the base for the Moonstones and this one, to me, adds just enough of a light splash of Pear for it to be named that, but is definitely harder leaning towards sake rather than a fruity drink. 

Moonstone is clearly intending this to be closer to a dessert wine, perhaps thinking more wine cooler, with the ad description: “Imagine reaching up and picking a perfectly ripe pear off the tree, chilling it down and enjoying it simple and clean.” This description, incidentally, is somewhat false and really stretching, best case. This definitely does hit the Asian pear notes, though, which are much more subtle and lighter than the regular Bartlett pears, for instance. Light, refreshing and very satisfying, definitely one of my all-around favorites…somewhat dangerously so, though I suspect if I actually just went for it with a bottle, I probably would tire of the taste somewhat quickly.

As with all non-red wines, the usual rating scale does not apply here. I will say that this, like a number of sakes available, is very moderately priced, usually between $ 12 - $14 a bottle for this one. Unquestionably, well worth that.

Issue LIX: Ramon Bilbao Limited Edition

Ramon Bilbao Limited [Tempranillo] 

This is an interesting entry, as I’ve had the wines of this label over the course of a few different years, so perhaps this could be several reviews in one. I don’t generally note the years, but here, it may be bear noting as they are not always very similar. It is indeed different every time, but never in the least unpleasant and usually one of my better pick-ups. Due to the smaller quantities involved, it is frequently not available, so when I see it, usually I’ll grab a bottle or more. 

It is no small task to vary your small batch wine from year to year and still come up with outstanding results, so a huge tip of the hat to these guys for doing it. This is also fermented in oak barrels, rather than vats, then matured in oak, then after that in bottles before being released, so this is not, in any way, any sort of production wine. That it falls on this list at all is something of a marvel to me, actually.

The wines of this line tend to be on the darker side, a trait I admire immensely. The years I’ve had this have been rich and lush and generally fruity, though with a good solid amount of tannin that is assertive initially but smooths out rather quickly. This one could pass the vaunted Marissa Ross test, for instance. It naturally does better with air and can bit a touch pungent out of the gate, though not overbearingly so. There are indeed some universals and those traits, along with the Tempranillo grape, are generally common amidst the various varietal years.

The flavor profile, though, tends to be notably different. 2013, for example, was very full and very rich, lush, delightful, tasty and quite pleasing and satisfying to the palate. It is noted as intended to “go with anything”, which I think it probably would. We never use wine to accompany food, but it was a great chill out and relax drink, an exceptional “sipping companion”, as it were. The 2011, on the other hand, was considerably more complex, with several notes happening all at once. The 2013 was far smoother, with perhaps hints of other flavors, but with precious little of the earlier busyness, what you would call more “straight ahead.” Both of them were wonderful and I’d be well happy to have a bottle of either.

As you may have surmised from where this is going, this is definitely a Standard. If I see it, I get it, SPA or not be damned and I definitely encourage you to do the same. Truly one of the greats.

Issue LVIII: Neil Ellis Pinotage Edition

Neil Ellis Pinotage

Part of the beauty of this series, for me, anyway, is that I am able to be motivated to really reach out and be exposed to such a great collective of worldly wines and learn a great deal about varietals whose existence I was not previously aware. In this case, we travel to South Africa and a varietal of Pinot Noir, which you no doubt guessed already and a grape called Cinsaut, which had another name in the region, Hermitage, hence the new name for the new cross-bred varietal.

Pinotage, however, is a very volatile grape and it is one that takes a great deal of care and tweaking to make palatable, sort of like the exquisite massaging one would need to do to juggle liquid nitroglycerine, for example. I may be overstating it, but historical records have not been kind to some of the end result. In this case, though, we have a nice and smoky flavor, along with a touch of both astringency and effervescence, which I found endlessly delightful. The flavor seems modest but allow it to linger and you find a deep well of power hidden beneath the surface. This is a very complex wine and expect some of the darker berry fruits, perhaps with a dash of plum and very slight cherry for flavoring notes, along with that smoke and a bit of leather as well.

Mouth feel is where things really get intriguing, both with the slight carbonated aspect (it is not, however, an actual carbonated wine, such as a real sparkling white or champagne. By no means should that be read into this, it is very slight and utterly pleasant, a brilliant and refreshing change of pace) as well as the wine skirting the edge between being light and have some solid mouth feel. Tannins are definitely present, but quite far from assertive. Altogether, this is one of the more pleasant wines I’ve experience and puts South Africa back on the radar for me, having been off of it for quite some time after several wines from that regions striking me as misfires.

At the price point, this is a great bargain. I don’t anticipate you would keep all the wonderful characteristics cellaring it (and I can’t imagine what hoops that would require one to jump through) and I don’t do any of that, in any case, so this is much more immediate. I have not seen this on SPA, but again, I don’t usually wander into this region in the store, so it may be and I’ve just not noticed. It is one of my new favorites, though, so it is beyond a Mixed…therefore South Africa puts itself on the HSC list with a bang…coming in as a Standard.