Wine On Line®
Nancy Walman, Publisher
Copyright 2004 by Wine On Line® News Syndicate
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Copyright 2004 by
Punch In International® Syndicate.
The End Of Summer
Fall is falling
in, but there is still enough time to enjoy a chilled bottle or crisp rose or
an offbeat, lightly chilled Rhone with that last al fresco lunch or dinner.
Here are some suggestions from Frederick Wildman.
El Coto
The first wines of El Coto de Rioja were introduced to the Spanish market with the 1970 vintage in 1975. So great was their success that two years later, the decision to double the capacity of the wine maturing in their cellars was taken in order to export part of the production. Their growth has continued unabated for 25 years, and now El Coto has been launched in the United States market through Frederick Wildman and Sons. As of this new century, El Coto is the most widely distributed Rioja wine in restaurants in Spain and is being embraced in America. Today, the world is looking for wines with character and elegance; moderate in alcohol content, well balanced and harmonious with refined cuisine. The wines of El Coto are an excellent example of a new generation of quality Spanish wines, which conforms to prevailing tastes.
El Coto Rioja Rosado 2003
Producer Background: EL COTO vinified its first grapes in 1970, and their first bottling was released in 1975. Since then, the bodega has emerged as the number-one wine brand in Spain, and is one of the top-selling Spanish wines throughout Europe. In 1996, the winery was completely overhauled with new equipment and state-of-the-art technology. El Coto's vineyards are in Cenicero (Rioja Alta) next to the east bank of the river Najerilla (tributary to the Ebro), facing the northwest, and their soil is mainly based on ferric clay. The rest of the grapes come from selected vineyard owners from the Rioja Alavesa. All the grapes are vinified in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. El Coto owns about 65,000 225-liter American oak casks, which are employed for 8 years. All facilities at the bodega are humidity and temperature controlled so that both the oak cask and bottle aging processes take place in the best environmental conditions.
Wine Type: Dry Rose
Grape Type: 50% Tempranillo, 50% Garnacha.
Country: Spain
Region: Rioja
Vinification: For their rose, El Coto has selected Tempranillo and Garnacha Tinta grapes grown in the alkaline soils of the Rioja Alta. Including brief skin contact, the wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks under temperature control for 21 days.
Tasting Notes: Bright pink color. Intensely fruity aromas of red cherry (from the Garnacha grapes). Palate is smooth, fresh, fruity and dry.
Food Match: scallops, sushi, white meats, BBQ, fish, pork, salads, Asian cuisine, Antipasto.
Suggested
Retail: $8.99
Jaboulet
The House of Paul Jaboulet
Aîné specializes exclusively in the wines of the Rhône valley, where the vine
was planted by the Romans, if not even earlier by the Greeks. Jaboulet offer a
range of wines from over twenty different appellations.
The reputation of Jaboulet
wines rests on the quality of the vineyards, well situated and well tended, on
low yields, careful vinification, and aging in oak casks. The firm also makes
very selective purchases of wine. Bottles are specially made of thick, dark
glass which, together with high quality corks, ensure that the wines keep well.
Jaboulet wines symbolize
robustness and elegance, essential qualities of great wines. Writing in the
late 19th century, the English authority George Saintsbury described Hermitage
as "the manliest French wine I ever drank".