TBO Wine Pick of the Week #3

Time for a new wine pick of the week!  I'm trying so many new, lovely wines but have little time to write about them.  My wine pick for this week is COS Frappato coming from Sicily.  This little varietal often doesn't get the opportunity to shine on its own since it is one of two grapes that make up the only DOCG wine in Sicily--Cerasuolo di Vittoria, the other being the islands most planted red grape: Nero d'Avola.  The winery founded in 1980 by three school friends Giambattista Cilia (C), Giusto Occhipinti (O), Pinuccia Strano (S) make up COS.  When they first started out they didn't have the money to purchase new oak barrels, so they bought used barrels and vinified grapes from their parents vineyards.  In the late 1980's they felt the influence of growing popularity of New World wines that used a lot of new French oak and they began to use new oak for their wines.  After comparing older bottlings that didn't have a lot of oak and the newer bottlings that did, the friends preferred the older bottlings that didn't have the heavy oak influence, and from there their style was born.  Today they use a combination of some old and new, large and small barrels, and even concrete tanks for their wines.  The COS Frappato is light-bodied and is made of 100% varietal biodynamically farmed grapes and is bright ruby in color with a hint of cloudiness.  This wine tastes as it looks, bright and fresh with sweet berry and cherry fruit and a pop of acidity just like biting into a fresh cranberry.  Interesting and certainly terroir driven with that indicative Italian funk, coming from the clay and tufa soil combination the grapes are planted in. This wine doesn't touch any oak as 50% is made in concrete tanks and the other 50% is made in clay amphorae.  Does this pique your interest yet?  Ask your retailer for this wine and discover this little gem!  Or if you're in Greenville stop by SIP and grab a glass and see for yourself.  






At COS, we are not interested in representing our land by cabernet or merlot, but by grapes that, for centuries, have represented our territory. Producers should not necessarily follow what the market is asking for, as the market tends to homogenize. Wine is life and for this reason, diversity.” -Giusto Occhipinti  





Read more by clicking on the link below:


 http://www.bkwine.com/features/wine-producer-profiles/cos-occhipinti-in-sicily/

TBO Wine Pick of the Week #2

 

Now it’s time for my new wine pick of the week!  I didn’t choose a wine from last week since it was Euphoria, and I was busy with the festivities of the weekend.  I have tried many wines over the last couple of weeks that are new to me, but probably the one I have been most surprised by is the Groth Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 vintage.  It has been years since I have tried this wine, since I used to sell it seven years ago when I first started in the business.  I am so glad I pulled a bottle to show in the market because it is drinking beautifully.  Comprised of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot aged for 22 months in 65% new French oak, the Groth 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon drinks like the Napa Cabs of days gone by.  The story of Groth winery is not unlike other wineries established over the years in Napa Valley.  They made some money in another business venture and had become regular wine drinkers along the way, and thought what better way to celebrate their love of wine than to have their own winery.  Once they had the money they were able to realize this dream, and the means that gave them this was Dennis’ involvement with Atari.  Dennis and Judy Groth received the call about a 121-acre Oakville estate in 1981 from grape grower Ren Harris.  Lucky for them they hadn’t made the offer on the Sonoma property they were looking at first, since this was really where they wanted to be--Cabernet Sauvignon country.  The land located in the heart of Oakville was originally planted in the early 1970’s by Napa valley pioneers Justin Meyer and Ray Duncan of Silver Oak fame.  In recent memory I haven’t had a Cabernet Sauvignon of this caliber that wasn’t some over extracted grape juice with throat burning alcohol.  It’s soft and restrained, but very classic in style with black cherry, blackberry, vanilla, and cedar. To me this wine is what Cabernet Sauvignon should taste like.  Groth Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is available for purchase at Northampton Wines and Bouharoun’s Fine Wine and Spirits as well as a few restaurants in downtown Greenville.