Most fine wine shops are full of snobs who declare American wine a waste of time, pointing you instead to the most recent bottle in from Chinon, Bourgueil, Naousa, Campania, Bierzo, et cetera. To them I reply: stuff some cheese in that pretentious whine, sir/madam. Now what could inspire me to say such a thing?Why, the 2007 Bogle Petit Sirah, of course. According to Bogle, this wine is considered their "heritage" varietal. They have been producing it for over 30 years, and a single taste convinced me that popular opinion wins on this one. These days it feels like we need reminding that wines from the United States deserve critical acclaim, that they are not all just flabby fruit bombs lacking finesse. Now by critical acclaim I don't mean the Bubbatown Farmer's Market Gold Harvest Medal or some such, but true glowing reviews in the international literature, such as those I find for Ridge's single-vineyard or Sonoma showings.
Why does Bogle fit the bill? Simple: the wine itself is a brooding, inky reddish purple in the glass, and struts its stuff when swirled. Ripe, juicy aromas of blackberries and plum fruit jump out of the glass, along with hints of spice. In the mouth, this wine is a full-bodied flavor masterpiece, with layers of dark jammy fruit and toasty vanilla oak melding to hints of leather and spice. A bedrock of mouth-coating tannin marches you to a long finish. Pair this with roasted wild game - boar sausages, huge hunks of venison, buffalo steaks, or dry-aged grilled meats. $11.
2 comments:
mm I am a big fan of the Bogle Cab. Never had this one though. Will have to try it :O)
Oh geez. You know I just took a look at the Bogle bottle and it appears to be the Old Vine Zinfandel... not the Cab. Whoops
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