Crazy Freakshow at Four Vines

Saving the Best of the Four Vines wines (Biker, Old Vine, and Naked®) for last, this Rampant Oenophile thought that a peek at their Freakshow catalog would intrique friends of this forum.

Freakshow is Four Vines line of blends that offers winemaker Christian Tietje a broader palate to exercise his “In Your Face” passion for big reds. Take “Loco” for example. This Tempranillo, from the risqué “Tres Cojones Vineyard” delivers in spades. It’s big, bold, complex, and rewarding. You find tangy blackberry and rich black plums on the nose and tongue. Loco gets very complex in textures with a long finish. Not a wine for casual sipping, Loco demands attention and goes very well with steaks. Locally, I found Loco for $29-$34, and it’s available for purchase on their site and through their wine club. Loco scored a 92 in 2004, and remains highly recommended by Wine Spectator.

Naked Goes Well with Crisp Chardonnay

Four Vines has received much attention from this Rampant Oenophile, but so far just for their excellent Zinfandels. To make sure that friends of the Rampant Oenophile don’t think that I just enjoy such a limited selection, I tried the Four Vines 2008 “Naked®” Chardonnay. Now, I’m a fan of the French style Chards, rich and buttery. “Naked®” is anything but…

This Chardonnay is all stainless steel, so it’s crisp and clean to let the citrus fruit and floral nose shine. You’ll also find peach and pear on the tongue, and grapefruit on the nose. Don’t serve it too chilled, just a bit cool, and you’ll lift the nose considerably. All in all, an exceptional New World style Chardonnay that pairs very well with fish or chicken. I’m looking forward to warmer afternoons to enjoy this Chard outside at weekend barbeques.

Old Vine Cuvee Offers Great Value Zinfandel

Ever on the look out for top wine value, this Rampant Oenophile enjoys checking alternate releases of top rated wines and vineyards. I like to find wineries that apply the same standards that achieve a 90 point wine to the entire balance of their catalog. Four Vines is such a vineyard. Their Biker Zinfandel recently earned 91 points from Wine Spectator, so I took a chance on several other bottles in their catalog, and found several treasures.

In addition to Biker, Four Vines offers 5 other excellent Zinfandels for the full range from Supermarket to Top Shelf. First among the value brands, “Old Vine Cuvee” offers a lot more Zin than the $12 price tag suggests. It’s silk smooth and suitable for sipping. Unlike Biker, who’s a bit brash, Old Vine Cuvee is mellow. Same great black fruit like blackberries and plums, but softened on the tongue with a velvet texture and light spice. I found both the 2006 and 2007 at my local wine shop, so bought both. When you find a good Zin at such a price, my rule is to buy a bunch and enjoy.

Biker Delivers Da Goods

Friends of the Rampant Oenophile will recall my love of Zinfandels, and California’s Paso Robles region hosts wineries offering tremendous wines and tremendous values. Four Vines proclaims amazing wines, and their Zinfandel offering, The Biker, just earned 91 points from Wine Spectator for their 2007 edition.

Biker epitomizes quality Zinfandel. It’s full of fruit and spice, offers bold fragrance, and explodes on the tongue. You’ll smell and taste big black fruit like plums and berries. I found pepper and licorice, but moderated with vanilla and oak. Biker is brash, zesty, and anything but subtle, but you get what you want from a good Zinfandel. If found it locally for $22, which makes the Biker a solid buy for a rewarding Zin.

A Wonderful Tribute to Chile...

The local ABC Fine Wines and Spirits hosted a great wine tasting last week, so of course this Rampant Oenophile attended with note pad and tasting glass firmly in hand. We enjoyed nearly 50 wines over the course of nearly 90 minutes with a terrific opportunity to speak directly with the wine makers and distributors for a selection that ranged the globe and the palate.

The 2005 Tres Palacios Merlot Cholqui now occupies a special place among my favorite wines. It comes from Chile, and is 100% Merlot, from within the Maipo Valley. This wine shows well in the glass offering a clear deeply red wine with violet hues. You smell red fruit: berries, currants, and cherry. I noticed subtle spices, but not the coffee or mocha that is listed in the product literature. The Cholqui offers a “Wow” factor because it’s as big as any good cab, but properly balanced and very smooth. This wine leaves no lingering after taste, but has a great soft finish. Velvety smooth, which is what one should expect from a premium category Merlot at this price range. If you can find a bottle under $40, but one because it’s difficult to find online for less than $44.

The Cholqui is as good or better than many more expensive reds, including both the Duckhorn and Decoy from that same winery. I recommend it highly.

Liar's Dice Comes Up Snake Eyes...

Friends of the Rampant Oenophile know that I’m a sucker for a good Zinfandel, especially a solid bottle at a good value, so I was hopeful about the 2006 Liar’s Dice Zinfandel from Sonoma’s Murphy-Goode. The winery boasts one of the better websites for ordering their wines online, ships quickly and relatively inexpensively, and their range of available vintages impresses even finicky shoppers.

Though they have many solid buys, unfortunately the Liar’s Dice 2006 Zinfandel wasn’t among the better selections. This very dark, nearly inky red/purple wine is a bit too spicy and a bit too sweet for my palate. It’s very jammy, but with a spicy nose and a very spicy finish. Not enough balance for us to enjoy at a recent poker game with typical salty snacks and cheeses. The Zinfandel should have stood valiantly with those foods, but instead, this mixed up wine just lost its personality.

If you are in the mood for a great value Zin, try the Buehler’s instead, and save your palate and a few dollars for a better wine at Murphy Goode.

Buono BuonCristiani

The 2006 BuonCristiani OPC arrived in the office several weeks ago as a “Thank You” gift from a corporate friend for completing a big job. This Rampant Oenophile was just waiting for a suitable opportunity to share it with good friends, which presented itself at a house warming recently. We enjoyed the OPC, a big, dry, rich, nearly purple Cabernet Sauvignon blend that is well worth the $40 it costs from the winery.

It’s a Napa Valley blend of 42% Cab, 30% Syrah, 20% Merlot, and 8% Malbec, the range of which softens the dry Cabernet grapes without diluting the big bold flavors. This wine rewards good food, and we served it with a selection of “stinky” cheeses, fresh artisan breads, olives and nuts as complements. You’ll find a lot of complexity in this exceptional wine, and though the OPC is tough to find in stores, it’s a worthy treasure should you hunt for it.