Black Cats & Sassy Bitches

Black cats and sassy bitches sounds more like it has to do with ill behaved pets than it does with wine, but trust me this is still about wine.  The last two wines for the November tasting to be exact.

BLACK CAT

Zeller Schwarze Katz, or "black cat" wines originate in the village of Zell along the Mosel River Region Germany near the French border.  The wine labels of this Riesling blend often features the legendary arched black cat.   Legend has it a black cat fiercely guarded a barrel of Zeller wine that was cellared alongside many other varietal wine barrels. Locals and wine merchants concluded that the Zeller wine was special and hence naming it for its guardian.

Most people associate Germany with beer, perhaps that it is because it was the Romans not the Germans who are credited for the development of viniculture and wine making in ancient Germany. Regardless, the German wine industry is large and highly successful worldwide .  Zeller Schwarze Katz wines offer value and quality at a reasonable price. The wines are fairly popular in Germany and are also exported to many markets throughout the world.  It should be enjoyed as the Germans do, as an everyday wine with friends, family and food.

Varietal:  Zeller Schwartz Katz, Riesling-blend

Producer/Importer: Josef Friedrich

Region: Mosel Germany

Vintage:

Price: $

Tasting notes:

 Sight (Color/Clarity): Light golden

 Smell (bouquet, aroma): sweet white grapes

Taste (acidity, balance, body): light in taste, crisp and refreshing

Bottle presentation:

Label description: Arched black cat

Comparisons:

Overall rating (1-10): 8

Date consumed: November 9, 2011

Comments:

SASSY BITCH

Sassy  Bitch is a catchy name, but beyond that I was not impressed with this Chardonnay.  Sour grapes is the only way I can describe the feel and taste on my tongue.  Which is far from other reviews I have seen that describe it as an "attractive banana bouquet with traces of tropical fruits. It sits on the palate like a soft bushel of fruit and finishes with a subtle vanilla dollop." Or "nice tropical fruit flavors, a little creamy with baked pineapple flavors".  Like a bad first date maybe I should take the advice of the others and give the blond a second chance.

Sassy Bitch wines come in four varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Chardonnay.  All of their wines are from Chile and come with a modest price tag.  All four varietals are priced at $9.99.

Varietal:  Chardonnay

Producer/Importer: Sassy Bitch

Region: Central Valley Chile

Vintage: 2010

Price: $9.99

Tasting notes:

 Sight (Color/Clarity): light yellow

 Smell (bouquet, aroma):

Taste (acidity, balance, body): Sour grapes

Bottle presentation: Fuchsia and black label screaming SASSY BITCH

Winemakers notes: “Attractive amber color, intensive and brilliant. Pleasant bouquet with some tropical fruits, peach, banana, pineapple an flower notes. The palate has a nice body with a medium acidity, young and fresh.”

Comparisons: Has no buttery oak flavors of a traditional Chardonnay

Overall rating (1-10): 2

Date consumed: November 9, 2011

Comments: Almost wonder if this is how the wine really tastes or if we got a bad bottle.

Old Vine Red Lot 56

Owner and winemaker Chris Bilbro initially founded Marietta Cellars in 1978 naming his winery after his aunt Marietta Pardin. Marietta Cellars is located just outside the little town of Geyserville in one of California's premier wine growing regions, Sonoma County. There they continue to hand make their wines.

Old Vine Red is a red wine field blend dominated by Zinfandel with a splash of lesser-known red grapes to give it some added character and depth.  The term field blend comes from the days when vineyards were planted with a variety of grapes of unknown varietal for the purpose of making either a red or white wine not a specific type of wine. Each Old Vine Red is blended from scratch, recipe-less and Non-vintage.  Non-vintage, meaning the blend includes grapes from harvests in different years. Since a field blend is about blending, vintage doesn’t really make much difference.  The advantage of blending varietals and vintages is the potential for more consistent and complex wine. The winemaker relies on his palate and what he think tastes best, showing off a little of his personality at the same time, “walking the fine line between seriousness and fun”. The blends do change with each "lot" and the percentages are something of a secret. Old Vine Red is aged in French and American oak, and should drink well over the next few years.

Marietta wine is allocated on release due to demand and routinely sells out prior to the next relase.  Lot 56 in October 2011.

Varietal:  Zinfandel blend

Producer/Importer:  Marietta Cellars          

Region: California, Primarily Sonoma and Mendocino Counties

Vintage: Lot#56

Price: $9.97

Tasting notes:

 Sight (Color/Clarity): Slightly opaque, ruby red-purple

 Smell (bouquet, aroma): Jammy aroma of the zinfandel

Taste (acidity, balance, body): Moderately complex flavor including a little hint of sweet cherries, bold fruity jam, peppery spice and earthy herbal flavor. It is leggy, indicating high alcohol content. It is medium bodied and well balanced with a lengthy smooth finish.

Bottle presentation:

Winemakers Notes: “Old Vine Red is a proprietary red wine that is round, smooth, "Zinfandel-like," and noted for its balance, approachability, and consistency. It is primarily comprised of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Carignane as well as smaller amounts of Cabernet and Syrah. Various Italian varietals round out the blend.”

Comparisons: Fruitier than the Rex Goliath Zinfandel

Overall rating (1-10): 8.5

Date consumed: November 9, 2011

Comments: 13.5% alc vol.